Labor Notes: Puerto Rican Teachers: “The Long Way is the Short Way”
Last February, nearly 25,000 teachers closed Puerto Rico’s schools with a 10-day strike. The strike and ensuing fights peaked decades of slowly building momentum for a reform caucus.
One year ago, in late February, teachers in Puerto Rico defied a strike ban and embarked on an all-out fight for the life of their union.
The 10-day walk-out, which capped 27 months of fruitless negotiations, set in motion months of turmoil for the 40,000-member Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico. The government decertified the FMPR as punishment for the strike, and the Service Employees attempted a raid. In late October teachers were asked to vote between SEIU and “no union,” as the government barred FMPR from the ballot.
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