Puerto Rico: Privatization of Public Education & Resistance

Economic anti-worker austerity and repressive measures intensified under current Governor Fortuño’s administration. From Kindergarten to University, the colony continues under the dictates of Bush/Obama policies to step up measures to dismantle and privatize public education. Puerto Rico’s Teacher' Union (FMPR) has successfully resisted over decades by consistently organizing teachers, parents & students in school strikes, protests and occupations. The 2008 FMPR's nation-wide school strike stopped the charter invasion & privatization of schools. In 2011 the FMPR’s occupation of the Pension Offices halted the government’s attempt to hijack & bankrupt their teacher pension funds. The FMPR, despite intense government retaliation, continues its class struggle, independent, democratic & social-justice resistance and represents a clear break from the traditional AFT/AFL-CIO business-union top-down model that undermines worker struggles. The Movement of Socialist Workers (MST), with its Union of Socialist Youth (UJS) student arm, has played a leading political role in the FMPR led school struggles and in the 2010-11 University of Puerto Rico student strikes. MST/UJS leadership is evident in other worker and community struggles such as women’s rights, health, anti-repression and the gas-o-ducto pipeline.