November 12, 1999
San Juan, Puerto Rico, Nov. 10 -- A quarter-century after they were promised collective bargaining rights, Puerto Rico's teachers have voted overwhelmingly to be represented by the Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico (FMPR) in the first opportunity teachers have had to vote for union representation in Puerto Rico's history.
Thousands of teachers traveled to distant polling sites and endured long lines and unseasonably warm weather to vote to be represented by the FMPR, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). A remarkable 88 percent of the 37,105 teachers eligible to vote did so in this historic election. (Unofficial results show AFT: 22,156; NEA 8,024.)
"This is an extraordinary victory for the educators and students of Puerto Rico," said Sandra Feldman, president of the AFT. "The level of turnout is a testament to these educators' deep dedication to their students, and to their determination to have a voice in strengthening their schools."
Although teacher salaries in Puerto Rico are far lower than in any American state, despite the high cost of living on the island, the issue that dominated the drive for collective bargaining was teachers' demands for improved conditions in Puerto Rico's schools.
"Teachers want a stronger voice in strengthening the quality of education in Puerto Rico," said Renan Soto Soto, president of the Federacion de Maestros de Puerto Rico, an affiliate of the AFT.
"They know the needs -- creating smaller classes, modernizing our school buildings, and securing adequate learning materials for students. Now we can begin to negotiate for the things that make schools work."
The victory catapults the Federacion into position as the AFT's second-largest unit of teachers. It is the largest collective bargaining election the AFT has participated in since the union organized New York City's United Federation of Teachers in 1961.
Several AFT affiliates lent staff to the effort and many AFT members and retirees from Texas, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New York volunteered to work on the campaign. Some were of Puerto Rican heritage, but others simply wanted to support Puerto Rico's teachers in their efforts to secure collective bargaining and strengthen the education system. Sarah Ortiz, a paraprofessional from Philadelphia, was caught in a flash flood and washed downstream. Although she suffered scrapes and bruises, Ortiz insisted on staying and seeing the campaign through to the end.
Maria Portalatin, an AFT vice president and former New York City paraprofessional, spent four months in Puerto Rico during the teacher strike of 1973 and returned a quarter century later to volunteer in the collective bargaining election. Part of the settlement of the 1973 strike was the promise that education employees would get collective bargaining within a year.
"The issues were the same when I returned -- crowded and crumbling schools, inadequate supplies, low pay -- if anything, the conditions were worse," Portalatin recalled. "I left Puerto Rico 25 years ago thinking that collective bargaining was close at hand; when I leave this time, school employees really will have the power to transform education in Puerto Rico for the better."
"Collective bargaining will enable teachers to press for a more rigorous curriculum, better teacher training, safe and modern school facilities and adequate supplies for students," said Sandra Feldman, president of the 1 million-member AFT. "We look forward to working with Puerto Rico's educators to make sure that all students and teachers in Puerto Rico's schools have the resources they need to succeed."
Phil Kugler, assistant to the AFT president for organizing, said that the enormous cooperation between AFL-CIO unions contributed to the success of the drive for collective bargaining.
"Unions helping one another is what the labor movement is all about," said Kugler, noting that in addition to AFL-CIO staff, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the United Auto Workers, the Communication Workers of America and the American Federation of Government Employees all provided organizers.
"This was truly a team effort in support of teachers and other employees in Puerto Rico," Kugler said.
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