Croatia has
been cutting its spending in order to close its deficit and improve its credit
rating as it prepares to enter the European Union. It has been doing this by
slashing public services like education and healthcare. In response, teachers and
nurses have been striking against government plans to cut their pay. 70% of Croatia’s education workforce
took part in a strike last Thursday, according to the Teacher Solidarity website.
In the German state of Saxony, teachers have begun a series
of “warning” strikes for “equitable education funding” (also from the Teacher
Solidarity website). More than 20,000 people (75% of
Saxony’s education workers) took part in a November 16th strike, with thousands participating in
rallies in Leipzig, Dresden and other cities. One of the strikers’ demands is a
shorter work week for older teachers to ease their workload and provide more
openings for younger teachers, who make up a minority of Saxony’s teaching
staff.
Meanwhile, in Hawaii,
teachers have been participating in work-to-rule actions every Thursday in an
attempt to roll back concessions imposed on them by their governor two years
ago (from Labor
Notes). The 2011 contract, which expires in 2013, included cuts to their pay
and benefits. Their union negotiated a compromise contract, which included
performance pay, evaluation reforms and a two-tiered compensation system for
new hires. Not surprisingly, the teachers voted this contract down.
The teachers are
arriving just before classes start and leaving immediately at the end of
classes, temporarily ending after school tutoring, club supervision, lesson
planning and grading papers. In lieu of their normal unpaid labor before and
after school, the teachers have waving signs to passersby to promote their
cause. They are hoping to bring up wages (starting salaries for Hawaiian
teachers are only $31,000) and resist pressure to accept performance pay.
As in many states,
Hawaiian teachers are barred from striking until after negotiations have
resulted in impasse. Rather than waiting until then, when it would be harder to
mobilize teachers, as well as public support, they have begun their protests
and outreach early. So far, teachers are saying that students and parents are
supporting their actions. The key will be to maintain both high participation
rates in their actions, as well as public support, until their demands are met.
