USA
Thousands of teachers in the path of struggle for better schools.
Thousands of teachers in Kentucky and Oklahoma yesterday went on with their strikes and protests, demanding an increase in state and federal expenditure on public schools, decent salaries, reduction in the insurance contributions, and improvement of the logistical infrastructure.
On Monday evening, thousands of teachers gathered in central areas of the capital city of their states, determined to continue their struggle, having at their side part of the parents and students. In Kentucky, the protesters gathered in front of the local parliament to protest against the plan of modification of their retirement conditions and to demand the funding of the public school.
In Oklahoma, many teachers say they have started a second job to meet their needs, such as for example, as waiters in restaurant, school bus drivers. The $ 6,000 annual salary increase offered by the state government was considered inadequate and the teachers demand an increase of more than $ 10,000.
In both states, trade unionist teachers admit that they followed the path of struggle and fight after the successful outcome of the nine-day strike that took place at the beginning of last month with the participation of almost all West Virginia school teachers, who rose up against the impoverishment and devastation of the public school. After nine days, the teachers who were in strike in West Virginia, received salary increases of 5% instead of 1%, originally offered by the state, while their initially increased pension contributions were reduced.
These days thousands of teachers in the state of Arizona are on strikes and they are also demanding an increase in the expenditure for education and decent salaries.
We should underline that since the 2008 crisis, the federal expenditure on public schools has been less than 8.5% on average and the remaining sums come, by 45%, from the state government’s funding and, by 45%, from the local authorities, like cities, counties etc..
- President Donald Trump stated yesterday that America’s foreign aid to Honduras and other countries is “at risk”, unless these countries stop a “caravan” of some 1,200 economic immigrants from Central America heading to the USA’s border with Mexico.
