education

Members of Black Rose/Rosa Negra – Los Angeles who were involved in community mobilization in support of the strike and as members of UTLA provide their summary and analysis. The article highlights the community-worker nature of the strikes demands, the conditions of the settlement, the pitfalls of union leadership and labor law, as well as outlining next steps in the struggle.

At the time of this writing, members of United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) have been on strike for a total of six school days. The school district for which these teachers work, Los Angeles Unified, is the second largest in the United States. Salvo, a working-class paper for the greater LA area, spoke with Claire, a member of UTLA, about why teachers are striking over much more than a simple pay raise…

This was produced by ordinary workers who believe in the importance of organizing in way of autonomous, solidary and day-to-day action. We are small workers of public and private companies. We have a facebook page, printed bulletins and now a site to publicize our problems and strengthen our struggles.

Born into a rich family in Panama, Juan Carlos Varela is an entrepreneur who is fiercely in favour of the free market. He led his conservative Panamenista Party into the elections in 2009, but was then bought off by his rival Ricardo Martinelli, who offered him the vice-presidency if he stopped running against him. In 2014 he won the presidential election, coming in on promises to develop the economic infrastructure of Panama and to proceed with urban renovation in the free trade zone city of Colon.