By Jorge J. Muñiz Ortiz
SAN JUAN – Public sector employees in Puerto Rico, mainly teachers and firefighters, staged massive protests this Wednesday in San Juan to demand a fair wage, in the so-called “Great March of Indignation”.
The first conveners of this day of protest were the teachers, who demonstrated in this way for the second consecutive week despite the fact that Governor Pedro Pierluisi announced last Monday that educators will temporarily receive a salary increase of $1,000 dollars per month beginning next July.
Teachers came from all over the island to the “Great March of Indignation”, which started in the Luis Muñoz Rivera park, passed in front of the Capitol-Legislature-and went through several streets of Old San Juan until reaching La Fortaleza, seat of the Executive.
Among those thousands of educators was José Guillermo Morales, teacher or music from the José De Diego de Las Piedras elementary school, who told Efe that he attended the demonstration not only to demand a salary adjustment but also to defend the pensions of his colleagues who are about to retire.
Teachers have two or three jobs to survive
The base salary of a teacher in Puerto Rico is $1,750 dollars per month, well below the current cost of living, which has led many teachers to have to have one or two additional jobs.
“In my case, I am a musician, I am in the street playing, which is another additional job. We also give private classes, we make videos instructing others on the networks, and we are at school, always looking to survive,” Morales admitted.
Accompanied by music and carrying Puerto Rican flags, the protesters continuously alluded in their slogans and in the slogans of their banners to the demands for salary improvements and a decent retirement.
“Without teachers, the country is paralyzed“, “If there is no justice for the people, let there be no peace for the Government”, “If it is about teaching , we teach to fight”, “We are going to give him a fire in the street and at school” and “Firmly and courageously, I defend my pension”, were some of the most chanted slogans.
Governor belittles teachers, firefighters and police officers
The straw that broke the camel’s back for the patience of many public employees were some unfortunate statements by the governor, who said last Monday that “no one is obliged” to be a teacher, police officer or firefighter and that these professions are vocational.
“He is not interested in any of these professions because he and his special assistants earn higher salaries than us and we are in misery,” denounced Lydia Nazario, a special education preschool teacher in Coamo.
Regarding the salary increase of $1, 000 dollars announced, Nazario criticized in statements to Efe that the money comes from funds federal emergency, so it can be eliminated at any time.
A similar precarious situation is experienced by firefighters, whose base salary is $1,625 dollars per month, and who also asked for salary adjustments today. To demonstrate their repudiation, they took one of their trucks to Fortaleza Street.
New promises of improvements
In the middle of the demonstration, Pierluisi and the Secretary of Education, Eliezer Ramos, announced that the increase of $1,000 dollars will be extended to school principals, regional superintendents, and instructional facilitators beginning July 1, 2022.
As Pierluisi explained in a statement, the increase destined for the teaching profession was identified as part of the ESSER federal fund initiatives.
For her part, Karen Riquelme, senator of the New Progressive Party (PNP), presented several days ago a bill that would establish a base salary for firefighters of $2, dollars per month .
The nurses also joined the great march, in a claim for a better salary and payment of incentives than The Government still owes them for their work during the COVID pandemic-19.
Other officials who demonstrated today they were social workers and trade unionists from the Electric Power Authority, in protests that had the presence and support of artists such as PJ Sin Suela, iLe and Emil Martínez.
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Teachers in Puerto Rico and other public employees block access to La Fortaleza in a massive protest to demand a salary increase