Yucatán Teachers’ Strike Tactic: Tent City at the Plaza Grande

The tent city recently erected in the Plaza Grande echoes not only campus demonstrations in the U.S., but also the increasingly confrontational nature of the Yucatán teachers’ strike.

This action marks a significant step in ongoing tensions over salaries, working conditions, and broader education policies, and reflects a long history of teacher activism across Mexico.

The core of the teachers’ demands revolves around a salary increase and a review of the Institute of Social Security for State Workers (ISSTEY) Law. Teachers claim the government has not adequately addressed their concerns.

The Yucatán teachers’ strike in context

Protests have grown increasingly confrontational. Teachers earlier were rebuffed with fire extinguisher powder at the government palace. They also blocked the entrance to the Mérida airport and stopped traffic on the Periférico.

“We will demand from the next governor of the State that the new head of the Segey [Secretariat of Education of the State of Yucatán] be chosen by the rank and file of the state’s teaching profession,” stated Limberth Santoyo Arzápalo, a leader of education support workers.

The state government has responded to the Yucatán teachers’ strike by stating that it will comply with salary increases for teachers and education workers in 2024, but only once it receives notification from the federal government regarding the corresponding increase and new pay scales. They have urged teachers to express their concerns respectfully and avoid actions that affect others.

A key point of contention has been the payment of English-language teachers, who are part of the National English Program (Proni). Many teachers work under service provider contracts and claim they have not received salaries since December 2024. One protesting teacher explained that while a parallel state program is paying its teachers, those in the federally funded program are left unpaid. They demanded to speak with program head Tania Vázquez Erosa, and potentially Gov. Joaquín Díaz Mena, to resolve the payment issues affecting over 150 English teachers. Threats were reportedly made to stop them from publicizing the problem, leading teachers to demand guarantees against reprisals.

The role and radicalization of teachers in Mexico

The protests in Yucatán fit into an often contentious history of teacher activism in Mexico. Mexican teachers have a long tradition of organizing and advocating for their rights, deeply rooted in the post-Revolutionary period. After the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920), establishing a free, secular, and public education system became a cornerstone of national development. The Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) was created in 1921, and teachers were seen as “missionaries of the revolution,” tasked with uplifting the poor and uneducated. This foundational role imbues teachers with a strong sense of social mission.

However, teachers have frequently faced low wages, poor working conditions, and top-down reforms. This has led to the formation of powerful unions, most notably the National Union of Education Workers (SNTE), founded in 1943, one of the largest unions in the Americas. For much of its history, the SNTE was closely tied to the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), leading to accusations of corporatism and lack of internal democracy.

This spurred the rise of dissident movements, most famously the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE), formed in 1979. The CNTE emerged from a desire for union democracy and a more radical defense of public education and teacher rights. They have often employed more militant tactics, including strikes, roadblocks, and occupations, particularly in states like Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Mexico City, where they have a strong base. The 2006 Oaxaca protests, which began as a teachers’ strike, escalated into a widespread social conflict, illustrating teachers’ movements’ profound impact on the broader political landscape.

How teachers in Mexico are hired

In Mexico, the hiring of public school teachers is primarily overseen by the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) at the federal level, and its corresponding state-level secretariats, such as the Secretariat of Education of the State of Yucatán (SEDEY or SEGEY). The system has evolved, with a shift towards merit-based evaluations.

Historically, union influence played a significant role in teacher appointments, and accusations of nepotism or the sale of teaching positions were not uncommon.

However, reforms, particularly the 2013 education reform and the subsequent General Law of the System for the Career of Teachers (Ley General del Sistema para la Carrera de las Maestras y los Maestros) passed in 2019, aim to standardize and professionalize the hiring process. This law emphasizes competitive examinations for admission, promotion, and recognition, intending to ensure that the most qualified individuals enter and advance in the teaching profession.

Public school teachers generally require a Bachelor’s degree in education (often from a “Normal School” or a university’s education program). For specialized roles, such as English teachers, additional certifications like TEFL or TESOL may be preferred, though they are not always strictly required for all positions, particularly in public schools.

Once hired, teachers in Mexico have a degree of autonomy in their classrooms, guided by national curricula and teaching standards set by the SEP. School principals are responsible for their schools’ overall organization, operation, and administration. Teachers have primary responsibility for maintaining order and discipline, though serious issues are escalated to the principal. While there are national norms for student discipline, individual schools can establish specific rules.

The unions, particularly the SNTE, also play a significant role in representing teachers’ interests regarding salaries, benefits, and working conditions. While the government sets national education policy, unions act as powerful advocates, negotiating with authorities and, as seen in Yucatán, resorting to direct action when their demands are unmet.