Puerto Rican Teachers Union Fights Austerity - 26:59
Massive Demonstrations in Puerto Rico
as Teachers Union Fights Austerity
with
Mercedes Martinez, Pres., Teachers
Federation of Puerto Rico
(“FMPR”)
With the rejection by Congress of any meaningful measure for
debt relief despite the current deadline for almost $1 billion in debt
payment due on January 1st, and amidst wealthy investors squeezing the
cash-starved Island, unions in Puerto Rican are bracing for any eventuality,
from massive layoffs to and including the possibly of a government
shutdown. A general strike is one of the responses being discussed by the
FMPR, one of the most militant unions in Puerto Rico. On November 17, 2015
the FMPR led a highly successful one day strike against the colonial
government's brutal austerity program, and escalating attacks on hard earned
workers’ rights, including pensions and retiree medical benefits and efforts
to privatize the school system. The FMPR’s most recent action, just thus
this past week was a civil disobedience activity at the Department of
Treasury, against a pay cut in the form of denial of a Christmas bonus due to
all public workers. While the colonial government says Cut Back the FMPR
says Fight Back!
Plus
Puerto Rico's Economic Crisis:
Analysis,
Alternatives and Solutions
with
Rafael
Bernabe, candidate for Governor of Puerto
Rico for the Partido del Pueblo Trabajador (PPT) 2012; professor and
director of the Federico de Onís Hispanic Studies Center at the University
of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras; economist; and who has published three books
including “Puerto Rico: Crisis y Alternativas”
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