The teachers' protest camp in downtown Oaxaca City

The Sección 22 union local representing public school teachers in Oaxaca announced today that it will maintain its strike through Friday, June 3rd. The strike began on May 23rd and is part of what has become a ritual in budget negotiations with the state government.

Oaxacan teachers have used the tactic of camping out in the streets during May negotiations for nearly three decades now. While it’s effectiveness as a pressure tactic is questionable given its repeated use, it is a common ground for teachers from around the state to meet and it establishes a certain cohesion among the union’s membership.

The camp itself is massive, taking up around 20 city blocks in the state capital, including the central plaza, known as the zócalo.

Continue Reading

Federal police in Mexico have forcibly removed strikers from a copper mine at the heart of a long-running labor dispute. Workers have occupied the Cananea copper mine for the past 3 years, calling for better on-the-job safety guarantees. The Cananea mine is Mexico’s largest source of copper. The company that owns the mine, Grupo Mexico, says it will renew operations with 2000 contract workers. The national miners’ union has announced it will shut down one of Mexico’s busiest ports and carry out a series of actions throughout the country.