BajaNomad

TEACHER PROTEST AT THE BORDER

lizard lips - 5-17-2013 at 09:25 PM

I was watching the Mexican local news a few days ago and I saw a report where the union teachers in TJ blocked the border for cars attempting to enter the US at San Yisdro. I bet they are peeed because they make way to much money!

I am expecting my friends coming from LA tonight and they called me from the border at SY and they said the entry to Mexico was closed and the cars were backed up for miles all the way to Chula Vista. They went over to Otay to cross so I don't expect them anytime soon because they really don't know TJ. I assume it's the over paid teachers doing this again especially on a Friday evening....

Has anybody heard about this happening tonight?

Ken Cooke - 5-17-2013 at 09:40 PM

I don't know the situation in Mexico, but my Wife has told me about protests from Colombian Public-sector employees (Teachers included) who went unpaid for 1-2 (and more) months at a time.

[Edited on 5-18-2013 by Ken Cooke]

lizard lips - 5-17-2013 at 10:07 PM

It doesn't matter now. My friend said the detour took them 2 hours just to get to Rosarito after getting stopped by the local police who tried to jack them for money. They didn't give them a dime and told them they didn't bring any cash with them so that was good. Will see them for breakfast in the morning in Ensenada after a good nights sleep in Rosarito...... Chalk it up for another adventure.

Ken Cooke - 5-17-2013 at 10:19 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by lizard lips
It doesn't matter now. My friend said the detour took them 2 hours just to get to Rosarito after getting stopped by the local police who tried to jack them for money. They didn't give them a dime and told them they didn't bring any cash with them so that was good. Will see them for breakfast in the morning in Ensenada after a good nights sleep in Rosarito...... Chalk it up for another adventure.


A great argument for not carrying cash on vacation!:light:

I have been hit up for money, and I always shake my head and shrug my shoulders like I'm broke (because usually I am). Good to hear your friends were able to make it to the coast. Too bad for the horrible drive, though.

lizard lips - 5-17-2013 at 10:25 PM

Thanks Ken. Now I just got a call and they are coming down. I wish they would make up their mind.... Oh well, another late night!

BajaBlanca - 5-18-2013 at 09:56 AM

Overpaid teachers are such a problem in Mexico, LOL

I a not sure hindering folk who are trying to cross into the States is such a good way to protest? What do you all think?

Correcamino - 5-18-2013 at 10:48 AM

Here are a couple of news stories about the protest:

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/may/16/tp-teachers-stage...

http://www.kpbs.org/news/2007/aug/31/tijuana-teachers-protest-disrupts-thousands-of/

Looks like the protest is over federal education reforms that include later retirement ages and an independent review system to determine promotions and terminations. Not pay.

DENNIS - 5-18-2013 at 11:09 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Correcamino

Looks like the protest is over federal education reforms that include later retirement ages and an independent review system to determine promotions and terminations. Not pay.



Seems like pay, in one form or another, is the whole thing. These demonstrations are always about money. I mean....it's union, isn't it? When did they ever care about anything but money?

DENNIS - 5-18-2013 at 11:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca

I a not sure hindering folk who are trying to cross into the States is such a good way to protest? What do you all think?


It's how the government lets groups of citizens blow off steam. They figure it's better this than riots and revolts.

DavidE - 5-18-2013 at 12:38 PM

Yotta see what goes on in Mexico City. Mexican friends quip the government helps fund and organize many "safety valves". The one where they drove cattle down Reforma was especially good.

In Las Peņas every time I turn around there is a "reunion" parent/teacher.

Want graft, corruption, influence peddling, and all the rest? Can you say the letters CTA?

sargentodiaz - 5-18-2013 at 04:32 PM

Here's what I understand about the teachers' protests.

Up until now, you did not have to pass qualification tests to become a teacher. And, teaching positions were bought and sold, often with union collusion.

President Nieto swore to change the corrupt system and teachers, back by the unions, are doing everything possible to block the changes.

BajaBruno - 5-18-2013 at 04:51 PM

What I understand about the Mexico teachers' protest is exactly what SargentoDiaz described. They are quite nervous that qualification tests will put many of them out of jobs.

They probably should be concerned: California teachers have to take the CBEST, a rather short exam testing basic education skills like reading, writing and arithmetic, and 30% of them fail the test on first taking. Half of Mexican American teachers fail the first time they take the CBEST. Even after repeated chances, 15% of all potential teachers never pass. The subject with which teachers have the most trouble? Not math--it is writing.

DENNIS - 5-18-2013 at 04:59 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBruno
What I understand about the Mexico teachers' protest is exactly what SargentoDiaz described. They are quite nervous that qualification tests will put many of them out of jobs.




So, now the validity of the test, and who gives it, are the questions.

BajaBruno - 5-18-2013 at 05:29 PM

Quite true, Dennis. The CBEST was dumbed-down considerably after complaints from the CA Teachers Assoc., a very powerful lobby. But, no matter what quality the test, some presumably will fail. Then, the question is what will happen to them? Will they be sent to find other employment, or remain in classrooms because they are likable, connected, or donate more heavily to the right people?

norte - 5-18-2013 at 06:20 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBruno
Quite true, Dennis. The CBEST was dumbed-down considerably after complaints from the CA Teachers Assoc., a very powerful lobby. But, no matter what quality the test, some presumably will fail. Then, the question is what will happen to them? Will they be sent to find other employment, or remain in classrooms because they are likable, connected, or donate more heavily to the right people?


CBEST has bee around since 1983. Its effectiveness is often questioned.

Unions Everywhere

MrBillM - 6-10-2013 at 06:37 PM

Have in common their vehement opposition to their members having to show competence.

Back in the mid '90s when I went to work as a contract (leased) Network tech located at GTE's Equipment Repair Center in Ontario, the CWA was embroiled in a battle with management over attempts to require their Equipment Repair techs to pass the C.E.T. (Certified Electronics Tech) exam and they (the Union) had won a demand that the Company provide a series of weekly Instructional courses before each employee classified as a Tech actually had to prove they were qualified. With the opportunity to fail more than once without being reclassified.

My immediate response to the Union Rep describing the Unreasonable company position was:

How hard was it to pass ?

Taking the provided file which generated random-question tests from the actual certification, without any study time, my initial result in less than 15 minutes was a 78. Passing 70.

My comment to the Rep regarding the unfair demand:

You've got to be kidding.

But, that's what you get with Unions.

Interestingly, I don't think the requirement was ever finalized for existing employees already in the classification due to the high percentage who couldn't get a passing grade.

Bajaboy - 6-10-2013 at 06:44 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBruno
What I understand about the Mexico teachers' protest is exactly what SargentoDiaz described. They are quite nervous that qualification tests will put many of them out of jobs.

They probably should be concerned: California teachers have to take the CBEST, a rather short exam testing basic education skills like reading, writing and arithmetic, and 30% of them fail the test on first taking. Half of Mexican American teachers fail the first time they take the CBEST. Even after repeated chances, 15% of all potential teachers never pass. The subject with which teachers have the most trouble? Not math--it is writing.


CBEST was/is a joke...now CSET was another story....Of course the tests are primarily a means for a connected company to make money.

BajaBlanca - 6-10-2013 at 07:50 PM

Well, now I feel good about passing the CBEST the first time around. Because i am not good at Math, i studied like a dog for months and passed with flying colors. Long time ago!

laventana - 6-11-2013 at 09:43 AM

Sounds like a lot of union bashing here. I was only in a Union working as a machinist to pay for my college where the pay for a starting journeyman was not minimum wages but was not a living wage.

The most powerful unions in the world are Germany and most in northern Europe and Japan.

Lets see in Germany probably if not the highest paid union workers in the world, lets see the norm for a german union worker is 2 month paid vacation.

Germany consistently been one of the most stable economies even having to absorb one of the poorest soviet block nations about doubling their population in the recent past.

With their so called "union " labor well lets look at a few companies, how is the quality of a VW? A Porsche, a Audi, a BMW, a Mercedes. all built with Union labor.

Their roads are some of the nicest in the world, (ever been on the autobahn?) their mass transit is some of the nicest in the world all made and run by union workers.

Why not learn and grow from the best examples.

Lets look at the recent example in the USA of union breaking.... that was hidden via classification, a guy with a high school GED with no special abilities just a former security guard was making USD$200,000.00 a year with "no" oversight. That company, a single contractor has 12,000 employees, and now reported many of them were doing far better than the high school drop out with no education. It is reported that many others that were non-union members were being paid like movie-stars putting the high school drop outs 200k to shame. And yet these being paid that much did less than government union employees and there non-union contractors make 10 times or more. and wh knew... the cloak of silence was there and who there wanted to tell... well one human did.

Credit the Krauts

MrBillM - 6-11-2013 at 06:57 PM

Not the Unions.

Those Germans are born work-obsessed.

With a contempt for the rest of us.

Having known a number of Germans well over the years, including one I worked with daily for 5+ (often contentious) years and am still friends with today, I would kid him frequently that I now realized WHY they kept trying to conquer the world.

Because the rest of us didn't measure up and they felt compelled to straighten us out.

He didn't see my point.

Since he felt it self-evident.

And True.

He'd be the FIRST to tell EVERYBODY that the Germans had a special work-ethic and love for PRECISION.

To an infuriating point.