The case for voluntary student unionism

Summary: The Frontier Centre for Public Policy today released The Case for Voluntary Student Unionism. This backgrounder describes the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms' promise of free association, and demonstrates that this right includes the right not to belong to any specific organization. The author, Jonathan Wensveen, argues that compulsory student unions violate the individual rights of Canadian students, and that they should be replaced with voluntary student organizations. Wensveen examines the arguments that are presented in favour of compulsory student unions, and finds that none of them justify the abridgement of individual rights that occurs when individuals are forced to pay dues and belong to student organizations.