Labor Notes - Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s Teachers Beat SEIU Raid

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:30:18 -0400

Author(s):
Steve Early

Excerpt:

By a margin of 18,123 to 14,675 Puerto Rican teachers voted against joining the SEIU-backed SPM (Sindicato Puertorriqueno de Maestros), which is closely aligned with another SEIU affiliate, the Association de Maestros de Puerto Rico, an organization of school principals and administrators....

Available Online:
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Day 1 - Teachers meet with SEIU members

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:35:26 -0400

Tonight the Puerto Rican teachers held a "charla" or chat with SEIU members interested in learning more about their struggle, and the conflict between SEIU and their union the FMPR. I couldn't be there but Labor Notes Policy Committee member Steve Early was on the scene. From Steve's reports, the FMPR event sounded about as far from the highly scripted, stage-managed SEIU convention as you could get.

In contrast to the flashing lights, punchy music and telepromters of Andy Stern's SEIU, the FMPR president Rafael Feliciano Hernandez was busy setting up the folding chairs for Monday night's meeting.

Puerto Rican Teachers Challenge the Purple Lockdown

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 00:53:20 -0400

The Puerto Rican convention center hosting the Service Employees International Union’s big confab is kind of an eerie cross between Superman’s Fortress of Solitude and a prison in some isolated part of rural California.

The entire complex was fenced in or gated off, with police and security guards posted at every entrance. Once you’re inside it’s a little more suave than supermax. There is parking for probably 2,000 cars, but this morning the whole place was empty except for about a dozen buses bringing delegates in from their hotels.

Teachers Strike Stops Classes in Puerto Rico

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:32:08 -0400

Author(s):
José A. Laguarta Ramírez

Excerpt:

Striking members of Puerto Rico’s teachers union, the Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (FMPR) voted to end their strike March 5. Lasting two weeks, the teachers’ strike paralyzed classes at most of the island’s 1,500 public schools, thanks in large part to the hundreds of thousands of parents who kept their children home from school. . . .

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SEIU to Raid Union Representing 40,000 Teachers in Puerto Rico

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:43:20 -0500

Author(s):
César Rosado Marzán

Excerpt:

Dennis Rivera, chair of the national SEIU Healthcare union, announced December 28 that an organization of teachers and school principals in Puerto Rico would affiliate with SEIU and seek to challenge the incumbent Federación de Maestros de Puerto Rico (FMPR).

Available Online:
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