Nation’s First Teachers’ Strike at Charter Network Begins in Chicago

NYTimes: Nation’s First Teachers’ Strike at Charter Network Begins in Chicago

By Dana Goldstein  Dec. 4, 2018

Over 500 educators in Chicago began the nation’s first strike at a charter school network on Tuesday, shutting down 15 schools serving more than 7,000 children. Teachers for the Acero Schools network rallied at local schools to call for higher pay and smaller class sizes, among other demands.

The action is the latest mass teacher protest in a year when educators have closed ranks in places where organized labor has historically been weak — first in six conservative or swing states where teachers walked out of classrooms, and now in the charter school sector, where unionization is sparse.

All of the picket lines have formed out of a dispute over public dollars — whether education funding is adequate, and what percentage of the money should go toward educator pay and classroom resources versus other costs.

“Everyone is feeding off each other and hearing this rallying cry,” said Martha Baumgarten, a fifth-grade teacher at Carlos Fuentes Elementary School in the Acero network and a member of her union’s bargaining committee. “A lot of this comes down to lack of funding. But teachers across the country are seeing each other stand up and say that’s not O.K. We’re not going to support budgets and politics as usual.”

Charters are funded by taxpayers but independently managed by nonprofit organizations, like Acero, or by for-profit companies. Educators at Acero earn up to $13,000 less than their counterparts at traditional public schools in Chicago and cannot afford to live comfortably in an increasingly expensive city, according to the Chicago Teachers Union, which represents the striking workers.

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9th National Meeting of Students Militant Front

9th National Meeting of Students Militant Front

 On Sunday, December 2, the 9th National Meeting of the Students Militant Front (MAS) of Greece took place. Hundreds of delegates represented 61 student students University Unions, 4 University departments and 31 Students Committees from Universities from all over Greece and exchanged experience from the militant action of students’ unions. A fruitful and lively discussion on how to rally more student unions, students unionists, to put our own needs in the frontline against the policy of the government of SYRIZA – ANEL, the EU, the monopolies.

The meeting welcomed the Executive Secretariat of PAME which, highlighted among others:

“We have shared many struggles together. For the rights of the working class and its children, for the very future of the new generation of the working class against the black future that the big business groups, bourgeois governments and imperialist organizations such as the EU and NATO want to impose … Such struggles bind the steel of the common action of the workers with the students’ movement.

Within such a struggle, PAME and MAS are defined as genuine poles of defense and fight for the real needs of the working class and the youth. Our common case struggle starts from the belief that this world of barbarism and exploitation can change and will change. “

Photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/141955787@N05/albums/72157704195179194

 Greece, Athens December 5 2018

Bahrain Education Association: “The worst historical crisis to pursue the teachers and students of Yemen”  

Bahrain Education Association

 “The worst historical crisis to pursue the teachers and students of Yemen”

In solidarity with the Yemeni teacher, who has been living a tragic situation for more than two years, all unions and educational associations affiliated with the Arab Organization for Education and the Bahraini Education Union agreed to make December 1 a day of solidarity with the Yemeni teacher under the slogan ” A humanitarian priority that brings us together. “
The Bahraini Teachers’ Syndicate regrets that more than 200,000 Yemeni teachers and teachers have lost their salaries for more than two years. The situation in Yemen has become a tragic situation for both teachers and students, not to mention the catastrophic situation caused by the destruction of more than 1,600 schools. In the inability of 54 million Yemeni children to attend school since 2017, according to UNICEF reports.
We appeal to international organizations such as the United Nations and Arab entities to open aid funds to alleviate the suffering of Yemeni teachers and their families, many of whom have been forced to leave their jobs and seek alternative employment to support their families. The continuation of this disastrous humanitarian situation threatens to overthrow education in Yemen and paralyze the country’s greatest potential for life and development.
We stand with my teachers in Yemen and salute them in spite of their suffering and catastrophic situation. We ask God Almighty to remove them from them and to facilitate their reasons to overcome this harsh ordeal and to return to their former status, but go beyond the above to the best life and the best work.

Ivory Coast: Syndicats in Education and Job training CISEF-CI

Syndicats in Education and Job training CISEF-CI

Three teachers has been arrested on the 21st of November 2018, in the Ivory Coast, while trying to propagandise the strike on the 20th -21st of November, which was declaired by the coalition of worker syndicates in education and job training COSEF-CI.

The teachers are demanding among other things

upgrade of the housing grant,

increase of the exam supervision payment.

The deposit of the 500k CFA francs for their unpaid wages from January to May 2014.

The Word Federation of Teachers Union FISE, member of PSO supports the requests of the teachers in the Ivory Coast.

It demands the release of the teachers arrested and the fulfillment of their fair requests.

The teachers and the workers worldwide have given many fights and have claimed with their blood the right of strike and the liberty of expressing their ideas freely.

No government and no mechanism can stop the struggles of the working class.

We express our solidarity to you.
THE SECRETARIAT

Οn the occasion of the Day of Solidarity with Palestine 29/11/2018

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In the name of of Allah the Merciful
A statement issued by the trade union union – Palestine on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity with Palestine
O workers and people of Palestine struggling … O our glorious Arab and Islamic masses and all honorable people and workers of the world
In solidarity with our heroic Palestinian people. In light of the increasing calls to stand up to the Zionist imperialist attack on the Palestinian people, we turn to the people of their people to pay tribute to their steadfastness and resistance to the brutal occupation and its criminal tools and to confront the worst settlement project known in history and to confront the most brutal types of weapons as in the wounded Gaza Strip. Declaring that all these forms of siege and crimes will not discourage the people of our people from their will and their struggle and will not stop the determination to continue the struggle and struggle. For freedom, independence, return, self-determination and the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
The trade union coalition, with all its organs and instruments, affirms the right of the Palestinian working class to self-determination and to build themselves as a free and honorable democratic building based on international standards that guaranteed the right of democratic trade union organization away from hegemony from some of the unions supported by the Histadrut. Which calls for normalization with Israel and wants to direct the Palestinian trade union movement to split its ranks, as happened recently at the Marrakech conference in the second half of this year 2018 to a number of Arab formations and unions trying to circumvent the legitimacy Arab Federation of Arab Trade Unions and the World Trade Union Federation in Palestine to prevent WFTU from holding a day of solidarity with Jerusalem on 1/10/2018. The trade union coalition also affirms the adherence to the right of the Palestinian people to continue their resistance and struggle against all deals and liquidation platforms, which are the prelude to the deal of the era that will not pass as long as the will of Shshabna strong and solid.
 The Union of Trade Unions in these days of solidarity with Palestine pays tribute to all the solidarity workers of the world and the free world who stand up and support the struggle of our people, stressing that the day of international solidarity with our people, which falls on the twenty-ninth of November each year and salutes the position of the International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions ICATU WFTU has expressed their solidarity, popular and struggle for a comprehensive strike by all international federations in solidarity with Palestine. We note that these two unions still represent the title of solidarity with the workers and the people of Palestine. We also salute all trade union federations within the framework of the World Confederation of Trade Unions (ITUC) in various continents, which annually hold solidarity activities with Palestine. Where it conducts many solidarity rallies Arab, Islamic and international. Finally, we in the trade union coalition call on all the world’s living forces and all workers in the world to be on 29/11/2018 as a progressive day against all forms of global imperialism headed by the American administration led by the Zionist imperialist leader Donald Trump to assure him that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine and that it is Islamic It will never be the capital of any occupying entity and the transfer of the embassy is merely an expression of the American administration’s dislike to satisfy and provide security for Israel. And the subsequent Israeli resolutions and laws to Judaize Jerusalem and the law of Jewish nationalism and cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority and stop all forms of aid is a whirlwind will pass as a result of the struggle of the sons of the great Shabana.
Long live the trade union coalition for the workers of Palestine
Long lived the World Confederation of Trade Unions
The International Confederation of Arab Trade Unions (ICFTU) lived
22/11/2018

Greek teachers and pupils fight against the monstrosity of unemployment   

13-11-2018

Greek teachers and pupils fight against the monstrosity of unemployment

A massive protest was organized last Friday, at the Ministry of Education by permanent and replacing teachers of the primary and secondary education, pupils, students, parents and worker organisations. The protesters were gathered outside the ministry and went on and demonstrated in its yard.

The teachers demand all vacancies in the schools covered and for the permanent employment of the 25.000 teachers who have to travel to every corner of the country in order to cover the needs of the schools, as well as their gaining full labour rights, health insurance and same wages as the teachers, that are permantly employeed in the greek schools. The teachers stress that no colleague should be driven to unemployment, as the ministry is planning; on the contrary, more teachers need to get hired.

From the rally held, the members of PAME called for continuity of the struggle in the schools, along with the parents, the pupils and the rest of the worker movement, following up with the strike on the 14th of November. Meanwhile, they condemned the outlook of the leading members in the ministry and the government of SYRIZA, who follow the directions of the EU and the OECD to the tee.

Pupils and students highlighted that they will continue struggling „for schools that educate and don’t eliminate. We are returning them the bill as it is, because it degenerates an already exhausting school system.”

“We continue our struggle, more feircly and dedicated!”

The massive demonstration that took place on the 9th of  November, 2018 was the 4th mass protest since the beginning of the current school year, which started in September 2018.

FISE supports the requests of the teachers, pupils and students and workers and stands always by their side.

THE SECRETARY

 

HTFI meets K.A.Ganie regarding burning issues

On 12th of November 2018, a deputation of Honorary Teachers Federation Of India and J&K Rehbar-E-Taleem Teachers’ Forum led by Generalissimo Patro and Provincial President Jammu Rajesh Jamwal called on Advisor to Governor, Jenab Khurshid Ahmed Ganie at Circuit House Jammu regarding the burning issues of ReT cadre which included:
1. Implementation of 7th Pay Commission and release of pending salary of SSA teachers and masters for last 3 months, delinking of salary from MHRD to State budget, regarding committee report for this issue and regularisation of ReTs who have completed 5 years satisfactory service and waiting for the same for a long time. The deputation also reminded the Hon’ble Advisor of the commitment of Honb’le Governor with the TJAC leadership at Srinagar on 26th of September during chain hunger strike for implementation of 7th Pay Commission.
      He listened the deputation quite patiently and said that 7th Pay Commission will be given with the salary of September as per the commitment of Honb’le Governor shortly,beside releasing pending salary and for this he sought the report from Secretary School Education and asked him to brief him by today evening .
    Regarding regularization he called the DSEJ and asked him to write a letter to Secretary School Education by today evening for seeking directions .
Moreover he asked the deputation to meet him tomorrow again regarding these issues .
Central Committee
Honorary Teachers Federation Of India