Teachers lead Tijuana sit-in

State union splinter group wants to discuss contracts

By Anna Cearley

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

April 5, 2001

TIJUANA -- The school workers ushered out the night watchman, locked the doors and then plunked themselves down Monday morning in front of their own union building.

Since then, the renegade teachers and other educators have been camping out, surrounded by chips, sodas and a television. Their demanda meeting with union leaders to discuss contract concerns.

The sit-in is being led by Movimiento Magisterial or Teachers' Movement, a splinter group of the official state union. The group has held strikes and marches throughout the school year to win support for contract negotiations that affect Baja California's basic education system, which goes through ninth grade.

Teachers said this was the first school workers' lockdown since 1989, when the education offices in the state government building were taken over for several days.

Movimiento Magisterial's latest action is an indication of the troubled state of Baja's labor unions, which historically have been controlled by the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI. The unions' power and influence has waned since the PRI lost most of its national power.

The National Union of Education Workers in Baja California represents all school workers, from janitors to principals. But Movimiento Magisterial is focusing on the 35,000 school workers in Baja's basic education system, which serves about 487,000 students.

Though Movimiento is at odds with the union, which has two chapters in Baja California, it has worked alongside union leaders in negotiations with the state.

Some of their demands will be considered by the federal government next month, including a 30 percent pay raise and bigger year-end bonuses.

The state is negotiating with Movimiento and the official union on five lesser points, including changing the pay calendar so that workers receive five extra days of pay.

But Movimiento's leaders say they are disappointed with the negotiating process. They want the state, as well as the federal government, to find money for immediate wage increases.

"We have been trying to get these approved for this school year, and now they say it's for 2002 and 2003 and that shouldn't be accepted," said Rafael Navarro, a Movimiento spokesman.

The school workers also want the union to help them get wages they lost while protesting activities.

Union leaders say they are willing to talk with Movimiento's leaders but not under these circumstances.

"They say they are taking the building to reach a dialogue, but talking means resolving with words," said Antonio Manriquez, an assistant with the union's Chapter 2 office, whose building has been targeted.

Manriquez said he suspects the school workers have taken over the building to bring their demands to the attention of the federal government.

Teacher strife is common in Mexico, but this movement is unique because it is driven by grass-roots organizers. The extent of Movimiento's base is hard to gauge. Local newspapers have counted several thousand educators participating in marches and as many as 15,000 school workers in the classroom closures.

But representatives of the official state union say their elected leadership is the true voice of the school workers.

The number of teachers sitting in front of the union's Chapter 2 building this week has ranged from 40 to more than 100.

"We continue with the same energy as before," said Movimiento leader María Marín. "We haven't lost our spirit."