Wildcat strikes: Mexico vs. U.S.
The last few weeks has witnessed a massive wildcat strike of about 35,000 workers at nearly 50 “maquiladora” factories in Mexico.
Oh, you didn't hear about this in the American media? Maybe it has something to do with the workers winning.
Striking workers in the Mexican border city of Matamoros say they have reached deals with 27 of 48 assembly plants, winning wage increases of 20 percent.The strikers in Matamoros, south of Brownsville, Texas, have now reached deals with a majority of the plants where more than 25,000 walked out Friday.
The factories make auto parts, medical equipment, plastics and other goods. More than one-third of the city’s 130 border assembly plants were affected.
The strike was triggered when new President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador ordered a doubling of the minimum wage in Mexico’s border zones, apparently unaware that some union contracts at the maquiladora plants are indexed to minimum wage increases.
However, the big difference is that Mexico has a leftist government for the first time in over half a century.
The Industrial Workers and Laborers’ Union of Matamoros, which was founded initially in 1932 to represent cotton workers, is unusual in Mexico because it has won gains for its members that don’t exist in contracts anywhere else in the country. Far more common are pro-company “ghost” unions that sign contracts without consulting the workers they purportedly represent.
...Lopez Obrador has come under pressure from the business sector to rein in wage demands, but he is unlikely to do so.The only thing he has promised Mexico’s labor movement is to guarantee union freedom and stay out of unions’ internal affairs. For workers, that is a big step forward in a country where the labor movement has been smothered for decades by old-guard union bosses and pro-company “protection” contracts often signed before factories even open.
The United States has experienced a wave of wildcat strikes too - public school teachers.
More illegal strikes are expected this year.
What is notable is that unlike Mexico, our government seeks revenge against those public school teachers.
For instance, consider Oklahoma.
State Republicans in Oklahoma are preparing to introduce a series of bills on February 4 that would punish teachers for striking, participating in political activities and exercising their freedom of speech. The bills are designed to intimidate teachers who are once again considering strike action to win significant improvements in pay and school funding.
...
The proposed bills from both the state Senate and House of Representatives are in anticipation of another strike as early as 2020. House Bill 2214, authored by state Representative Todd Russ (R-Cordell), includes language to make any walkout or sickout by teachers punishable by arrests, fines and rescinding teaching certifications.
Some of these bills are just crazy. "a code of ethics for teachers that would prohibit any political activity, for example, running for office or campaigning on behalf of candidates."
" forbidding teachers from discussing anything deemed “controversial” that is not “germane” to the subject being taught."
"require $50,000 bond for any gathering of 100 or more people in the state capitol."
Hurray for freedom??
Oklahoma isn't alone. Arizona wants to punish their school teachers as well.
Arizona lawmakers introduced legislation this month that would make it illegal to close a school for any kind of labor action.
...Lawmakers have also introduced a bill that would gag teachers from discussing politics, including labor issues, in their classrooms. If the bill passes, teachers who engage in labor organizing could be fired. The legislation is so broad that it would also ban teachers from “endorsing” particular legislation, judicial action or political events — almost certainly imperiling teachers’ freedom in civics classes.
Last, but not least, there is West Virginia.
In a budget bill the legislature is fast-tracking, teacher raises and funding for the health-care system for state employees would be tied to provisions including:
Increasing class sizes.
Denying pay during future strikes.
Support for “school choice” in the form of charter schools and a program to use public money for private and religious-school education.
Who knew that public school teachers were an enemy that must be crushed?
This is coming from the same people who like to tell us how important education is.
Meanwhile, Arizona has a critical shortage of teachers and can't fill a quarter of the available jobs.
Oklahoma's teacher shortage is near crisis levels, while West Virginia isn't doing much better.
So I'm sure that attacking public school teachers and making their jobs harder will help attract more qualified people to the field. Not.
Comments
I wonder which foundation is looking to take over Education.
Because you know there's already plans in place.
DeVos is just drooling, thinking of that lovely contract she'll have when she hands over the keys to the kingdom. She's already done everything she can to de incentivize public education, making everything else as easy as possible, and now treating the last teachers standing as enemies... well, clearly there's a crisis in education, but fortunately for us, the Bill And Melinda and Hillary Gates/Clinton Foundation is standing by to rebuild it...
Yes, I am that cynical.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Cynics have great
powers of observation.
dfarrah
I don't think I've earned the Capital C yet...
Although the philosophy appeals to me, I enjoy my creature comforts too much to emulate them completely. So far I'll stick with Satire, the physical exercise, and the enjoyment of literature and ideas, for they appeal to me.
Life goals perhaps.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Thanks for update.
Has anybody seen Barak or Michelle at any of the teacher marches? I hope with the strikes that corrupt union officials get sweept out of union leadership positions.
Still looking for...
...those comfortable shoes.
Also, Oklahoma's threat to de-certify teachers should reduce the value of holding certification in that state considerably. Way to decrease the availability of teachers even further.
Nobody gives Lip Service like Obama.
And I just realized how rude that sounds.
But it covers it pretty well. Obama was always a master of saying whatever you wanted to hear. As long as it keeps you quiet, trusting in him to take care of the problem.
In my opinion, "The work of your hands shows the intent in your heart."
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Obama's a Neoliberal.
He wanted to privatize public education just like the rest of 'em.
Remember Race to the Top ?
We wanted decent healthcare, a living wage and free college.
The Democrats gave us Biden and war instead.
Yeah but DeVos
Right? I'm hearing all kinds of things about her education reforms that I didn't hear much about when Duncan was doing his thing.
During Bush - war is bad.
During Obama - ......
It's the hypocrisy that bugs me.
French teachers are marching
link
I'm sure that the teacher's unions are all over those bills
being considered in the legislatures right? That Randi is looking for her comfortable walking shoes along with the Obama duo, Nancy, Chuck and other democrats who are supportive of unions. I've only heard one person talking positive about the teacher strikes.
Some are going after the privatizers
Also saw
....
A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.
efforts to silence teachers are afoot
https://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2018/12/az-proposed-teacher-gag-law-...
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Jeez, why don't they just make em make the oath of Service...
and get it over with.
Oh shit, I just realized I better not give them any ideas.
I do not pretend I know what I do not know.
Replace "Teacher" with "Journalist"
then I could endorse some of it.
Woah!
And what is an instructor "allowed" to reply when the kids draw their own conclusions? Questions will be asked. What are they supposed to do? Just teach the state approved curricula? [Memory Holeville, here we come.]
Also, Thou Shalt Not Interfere with Military Worship and Recruitment for Usage as Cannon Fodder. F*ck!
.
.
I hated when my son came home from school and talked all excited about the fun he had with the military recruiters at school that day.
.
.
That said, I'm sure it's way easier to not state your political views. Just not worth the headache. Keep it zipped. But they'll get asked, in front of the entire class probably, whose team they're on.
Gotta keep us dumb and uneducated about the real world
Watching the Summers brothers show today showed me how long the PTB have been keeping us from learning the truth about things.
Living in republican Land is worse than living in a poor country
Go Lopez-Obrador! Let freedom ring!
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Oh please
Have you ever actually been poor "in a poor country"? I have not, but comparing it to living "in repulican land" is way over the "TOP", and frankly, repulsive.
Blue Team = good/Red Team = bad is so 2016, and so very TOPish. They're both bad! Very, very bad. But cheer away!
As long as the blue team wins
Living in my mud hut is fine.
There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~ Minnie Aumonier
Uh, yes
Yes I have.
So what was the question?
Well, I've been poor in a Chicago cold water flat.
Racine & Fullerton. That's pretty close to third world.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Who said Blue team good?
And have you ever lived below the Mason-Dixon line?
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Born & Raised -- 3rd world it aint, by any stretch!
Born & raised Texan. To imply that everyone below the Mason-Dixon line (which is actually pretty far north imo) has it worse than people in say Sri Lanka or much of Latin America is just plain asinine.
Same goes for saying you'd rather live in one of those countries than one with Republican leadership -- asinine, but knock yourself out, as in hit the road! The statement reeks of a Poor Little 1st Worlder whining because s/he can't have a Democrat as his or her leader, like that would make any difference at all because they're all the same. We were brainwashed into believing they were different. They. Are. Exactly. The. Same. Neither. Gives. A. Shit. About. Any. Of. Us.
Please post pics of your new shanty, where you fetch water from, and what you use as a toilet, like the people at this link.
https://www.gapminder.org/dollar-street/matrix?lowIncome=26&highIncome=1...
You shit kickers are really dumb.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
I am hoping JtC
or a mod might explain to you that calling out all Texans as "dumb shit kickers" has no place here.
As for real life, let me advise you that saying that to a Texan while in Texas, face to face, will start a fight. Say it only on the run.
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Depends on the recipient as to whether JtC gets involved?
It's just the entire southern US, Texans, and me. Therefore, it's perfectly acceptable, apparently.
Any other time, or recipient(s), it's swift.
The mods are obviously cool with it too since the entire message can be seen in the comment subject line, and not a thing was said about it.
So, I can only deduce that this behavior is perfectly acceptable as long as it is directed at the entire southern US, Texans, and me.
But, I damn sure know better than to say go fuck yourself you privileged snowflake c*nt! Or attempted to insult everyone up north. But really, it's not the personal insult that's so disturbing.
The whole feigned fainting-couch spectacle because we're under replublican rule, and that's worse than a third world country is repulsive, so I could not let it just sit there. It's shameful. And then implying that everything north of an imaginary line is somehow utopia (except for the supposed near third world LMFAO Chicago thing despite its magical location) and everything south of it is hell on earth. People and their delusions never cease to amaze me.
Curriculum
is the elephant in the room here.
No one on any side appears willing to revise or even discuss the current inadequate and dumbed down curriculum.
A few ideas and suggestions, not meant to be comprehensive.
1. That misbegotten bastard, "social studies" needs to be kicked out and replaced by separate and intensive instruction in geography, civics and history. American ignorance of all those topics is an international embarrassment.
2. Straightforward math instruction, the object of which would be to give all students a basic competency in computation, ideally up to the level of first year algebra, NOT early identification of the occasional math genius, who will in any case, quickly make him or her self known.
3. Straightforward instruction in English spelling, usage and grammar, including cursive writing--what happens when the electric devices don't work?--in the early grades to be followed by a literature based curriculum in the upper grades using the works of renowned authors, very much including marginalized non-white authors.
As for "teaching kids how to think", you have heard the expression "garbage in, garbage out"? Even Einstein didn't reason from ignorance.
Mary Bennett
I once read an essay by Nobel Laureate
Richard Feynman in which he opined that "New Math" was only of interest to that 0.1% of school children that were going to become professional Mathematicians. The rest only need to know how to find the right answer not why it's the right answer.
One of my grandchildren asked for my help with his Elementary School math homework. It was long division. I read the book's method which went through a bunch of Set Algebra and built monstrous tables. I couldn't make any sense of it although I graduated college with a minor in Mathematics, just nine credit-hours short of a baccalaureate in Math. I said "Here. Let me show show you how I was taught and my father was taught." I showed them how to caret off the dividend so that an easy trial divisor could be found and walked him through a couple of examples explaining as I went. He said, "That makes sense, Grandpa!" Although I pointed out why certain steps were taken, as Feynman said, they didn't really need to know how it worked. They just needed to know the right answer. Time enough for intersection and union of sets in college. Teach the kids how to get the answer. What's next? An exposition on the cognitive centers of the brain to teach the kids why reading works to translate symbols into sounds? Again, interesting in grad school. Grade school not so much. And, of course, none of them know how to sign their names because "In the future people will only have to know how to keyboard." KEYBOARD as a verb! These are teachers? Lady, the verb is "to type", didn't you ever have a typing class?
The one who reads the best is the youngest who was in Special Ed. His teacher was even older than I. We still get a Christmas card every year from her. The Principal hated her. She actually taught kids. She had no objection to our teaching him common word prefixes and endings and how to sound out words. The main stream teacher told us to stop teaching this to the middle kid because it was confusing him. She taught the official "whole language" method in which if the kid stares long enough he will learn to recognize the word. Sounds like the old "Look say" method that confused most of my contemporaries. My mother taught me to sound out words and what the roots and prefixes and suffixes meant.
Middle kid is still a bad reader. In High School I would tape Discovery Channel and History Channel programs so that they could understand their subjects. IMHO our public schools are guilty of educational malpractice.
I've seen lots of changes. What doesn't change is people. Same old hairless apes.
Sorry, man, but this is OBVIOUSLY "fake news".
I mean, if it were "real news", I'd know about it from checking the headlined stories over at cnn.com. Well guess what? I just checked and there's not a single word about it on their front page.
Why do you hate America? For that matter, why do you hate Mexico?
Hater!
The earth is a multibillion-year-old sphere.
The Nazis killed millions of Jews.
On 9/11/01 a Boeing 757 (AA77) flew into the Pentagon.
AGCC is happening.
If you cannot accept these facts, I cannot fake an interest in any of your opinions.