The National Educational Workers Union (, SNTE) is a
trade union
A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
which represents teachers in
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
. Its current Secretary-General and President is Alfonso Cepeda Salas.
With over 1.4 million members, it is currently the largest teachers' union in the Americas and the largest union in
Latin America
Latin America is the cultural region of the Americas where Romance languages are predominantly spoken, primarily Spanish language, Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese. Latin America is defined according to cultural identity, not geogr ...
. Formed in 1949, the SNTE is composed of local sections in each of Mexico's
states
State most commonly refers to:
* State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory
**Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country
**Nation state, a ...
. For much of its history, the SNTE has been a
corporatist
Corporatism is an ideology and political system of interest representation and policymaking whereby corporate groups, such as agricultural, labour, military, business, scientific, or guild associations, come together and negotiate contracts ...
union allied with the long-ruling
Institutional Revolutionary Party
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (, , PRI) is a List of political parties in Mexico, political party in Mexico that was founded in 1929 as the National Revolutionary Party (, PNR), then as the Party of the Mexican Revolution (, PRM) and fin ...
(PRI) and has been accused of having government-appointed ''
charro
''Charro'', in Mexico, is historically the horseman from the countryside, the Ranchero, who lived and worked in the haciendas and performed all his tasks on horseback, working mainly as vaqueros and caporales, among other jobs. He was ren ...
'' leaders and anti-democratic tendencies. This resulted in a movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s in which sections from several states began demanding democratic reforms in the union structure. This movement resulted in the fall of SNTE leader
Carlos Jongitud Barrios in 1989. He was replaced by
Elba Esther Gordillo
Elba Esther Gordillo Morales (; 6 February 1945) is a Mexican politician and trade unionist who has been the leader of the 1.4-million-strong National Education Workers' Union (''Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación'', or SNTE), ...
as president, a position she held until her arrest in late February 2013.
History
Origins
The SNTE has its roots in the struggle of teacher unions during the presidency of
Porfirio Díaz
José de la Cruz Porfirio Díaz Mori (; ; 15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915) was a General (Mexico), Mexican general and politician who was the dictator of Mexico from 1876 until Mexican Revolution, his overthrow in 1911 seizing power in a Plan ...
, which violently suppressed all opposition. Teachers strikes in May 1919 and the strike of Veracruz in 1927 and 1928, established the need for an organisation. Both movements affected the construction and strengthening of the Mexican Confederation of Teachers.
With the building of opposition to the government, 1932 saw the formation of the Mexican Confederation of Teachers, and in 1934, the League of Education Workers (under the leadership of the
Mexican Communist Party
The Mexican Communist Party (, PCM) was a communist party in Mexico. It was founded in 1917 as the Socialist Workers' Party (, PSO) by Manabendra Nath Roy, a left-wing Indian revolutionary. The PSO changed its name to the ''Mexican Communist ...
), the Workers' University and the National Federation of Education Workers. By 1935 the United Front was formed from the National Education Workers, culminating with the creation of the National Confederation of Education Workers, during a period of a huge boom in worker, peasant and popular union associations.
The SNTE began to consolidate from 1939, with the formation of various regionalised trade guilds and unions that were adhering to the
Confederation of Mexican Workers
The Confederation of Mexican Workers (''Confederación de Trabajadores de México'' (CTM)) is the largest confederation of labor unions in Mexico. For many years, it was one of the essential pillars of the Partido Revolucionario Institucional ...
(CTM), which in turn served as the labor sector of the PRI.
In 1936 the CTM supported the creation of the Union of Education Workers of the Mexican Republic (STERM Inter). From its foundation, it began to form the basis of a national educational system. But due to internal and external conflicts, the union began to splinter, forming the Revolutionary Front of Teachers (after the Mexican Union of Teachers and Education Workers).
A crisis created the emergence of SNATE, which also later created FRMM, STERM and FSTSE. Véjar Octavio Vazquez tried to unite the teachers from the top, but only managed further division. In April 1942, he agreed to a unity pact between SMMTE, SUNTE and STERM which created one national guild. With the support of CTM, the SNTE was created under the leadership of Luis Chavez Orozco, who remained in office for a year.
Corporatist era
During the administration of
Adolfo Lopez Mateos, during the largest teachers strike in the first half of the 20th century, the government suppressed the strike, and consolidated all teacher representation under the SNTE. It was during the 1970's as well that archaeological site guards began to join the SNTE.
In 1974, SNTE elected
Carlos Jonguitud Barrios as its general secretary. A former elected member of PRI, whilst also serving as general director of the
Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers
The Institute for Social Security and Services for State Workers or Civil Service Social Security and Services Institute (, ISSSTE) is a federal agency in Mexico that administers part of Mexico's health care and social security systems for fe ...
(ISSSTE) from 1976 until 1979, he promoted trade unionism through regular strikes.
As the union became more militant, in an audience with President
Carlos Salinas de Gortari
Carlos Salinas de Gortari (; born 3 April 1948) is a Mexicans, Mexican economist, historían and former politician who served as the 60th president of Mexico from 1988 to 1994. Considered the frontman of Mexican Neoliberalism by formulating, p ...
, the President demanded his resignation in 1989.
Leadership of Elba Esther Gordillo: 1989 - 2013
The President appointed as new SNTE general secretary
Elba Esther Gordillo Morales
Elba Esther Gordillo Morales (; 6 February 1945) is a Mexican politician and trade unionist who has been the leader of the 1.4-million-strong National Education Workers' Union (''Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación'', or SNTE), ...
, who after struggling under her successor
Ernesto Zedillo
Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de León (; born 27 December 1951) is a Mexican economist and politician. He was the 61st president of Mexico from 1994 to 2000, as the last of the uninterrupted 71-year line of Mexican presidents from the Institutional Re ...
as president, under the successor governments to the
Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) was able to wield the power of SNTE nationally far more effectively for the gain of the SNTE, and her own enrichment.
[
After the election of ]Vicente Fox
Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. After campaigning as a Right-wing populism, right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the Nat ...
of the National Action Party (PAN) as president within the Alliance for Change, Gordillo became a personal friend and trusted adviser. As a result, she was herself ejected from PRI, and hence the union formed its own political party, the New Alliance Party (PANAL), with her daughter on the committee and with Rafael Ochoa Guzmán
Rafael Ochoa Guzmán (born 7 February 1955) is a Mexican politician affiliated with the PANAL. He served as Senator of the LX and LXI representing Aguascalientes
Aguascalientes, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Aguascalientes, i ...
, the former SNTE general secretary, as the parties deputy and senator. The effect of SNTE and PANAL in the 2006 general election contributed to Felipe Calderón
Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa (; born 18 August 1962) is a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as the 63rd president of Mexico from 2006 to 2012 and Secretary of Energy during the presidency of Vicente Fox between 2003 and 2004. ...
's victory, allowing Gordillo to negotiate further quotas of power during his administration.[ As a result, Gordillo was made SNTE President for Life in 2008, at a conference where she presented each of the 57 regional deputies with their own personal ]Hummer H2
The Hummer H2 is a full-size off-road sport utility vehicle (SUV) that was marketed by Hummer and built in the AM General facility under contract from General Motors from 2002 until 2009. It is based on a modified GMT820 GM three-quarter-ton pi ...
.[
With Gordillo under increasing attack during the 2012 elections, accused by successive governments of stopping the advance of education reforms, the SNTE tried to form an alliance with the PRI, but this fell apart. New President ]Enrique Peña Nieto
Enrique Peña Nieto (; born 20 July 1966), commonly referred to by his initials EPN, is a Mexican former politician and lawyer who was the 64th president of Mexico from 2012 to 2018. A member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), he p ...
of the PRI proposed a series of educational reforms which were opposed by SNTE, but at the last minute before they were signed into legislation on the 25 February 2013, and eventually agreed by Gordillo and the SNTE.[
During her period in office, Gordillo became notorious for wearing luxury brands such as ]Hermès
Hermès International S.A. ( , ) is a French Luxury goods, luxury fashion house established in 1837. It specializes in leather goods, silk goods, lifestyle accessories, home furnishings, perfumery, jewelry, watches and ready-to-wear. Since the ...
and Chanel
Chanel ( , ) is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by Coco Chanel in Paris. It is privately owned by French brothers, Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, through the holding company Chanel Limited, established in 2018 and headquarte ...
. On 26 February, Gordillo was arrested by the Mexican authorities at the Toluca airport
Toluca International Airport (); officially ''Aeropuerto Internacional Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos'' (Licenciado Adolfo López Mateos International Airport) is an international airport in Toluca, State of Mexico, Mexico. It handles both na ...
for allegedly embezzling
Embezzlement (from Anglo-Norman, from Old French ''besillier'' ("to torment, etc."), of unknown origin) is a type of financial crime, usually involving theft of money from a business or employer. It often involves a trusted individual taking ...
$2 billion pesos
The peso is the monetary unit of several Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, as well as the Philippines. Originating in the Spanish Empire, the word translates to "weight". In most countries of the Americas, the symbol commonly known a ...
($156 million USD
The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...
or €119 million euro
The euro (currency symbol, symbol: euro sign, €; ISO 4217, currency code: EUR) is the official currency of 20 of the Member state of the European Union, member states of the European Union. This group of states is officially known as the ...
s) from the SNTE. In a case laid out in court the next day by attorney general Jesús Murillo Karam
Jesús Murillo Karam (born 2 March 1947) is a Mexican lawyer and politician affiliated with the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Born in Real del Monte, Hidalgo, he is of Lebanese descent.
Murillo Karam was elected to the Chamber o ...
, authorities alleged that although she claimed only to have earned 1.1m pesos (US$86,000) between 2009 and 2012, her expenditure included:
*$3.1 million USD at a Neiman Marcus
Neiman Marcus is an American department store chain founded in 1907 in Dallas, Texas by Herbert Marcus, his sister Carrie Marcus Neiman, and her husband Abraham Lincoln Neiman. It has been owned by Saks Global, a Corporate spin-off, spin-o ...
department store in San Diego between March 2009 and January 2012.
*$2.0 million transferred to bank accounts in Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
and Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (, ; ; ), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein ( ), is a Landlocked country#Doubly landlocked, doubly landlocked Swiss Standard German, German-speaking microstate in the Central European Alps, between Austria in the east ...
in the name of a company 99% owned by Gordillo's mother. The company bought two properties with the money in California, including a US$1.7 million home in San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
that she claims belongs to her mother and other family members.
*Amassed a total of 10 properties
*$1.4 million in transfers to a private jet company called Avemex
*$17,260 to plastic surgery clinics in California
Objectives
From its formation, the STNE has presented the idea of a single trade union representing all educational workers across the country. Supported by its ties with the State and the Party of the Mexican Revolution (PRM), the SNTE became a pillar of the state, identified with nationalism and political hegemony, holding the unity of all workers in the country's education and the voice of business interests to the education authority. Currently, union members must pay one percent of their salary as union fees.
The SNTE is recognized by the government in educational policy decisions as a group representing the interests of professional, technical, administrative and social labor in the education sector. It manifests itself in defense of the principles of Article 3 of the Constitution and supporting free and compulsory education provided by the State.
The SNTE has been accused of indirectly benefiting the cartels against the federal government in the Mexican Drug War
The Mexican drug war is an List of ongoing armed conflicts, ongoing Asymmetric warfare, asymmetric armed conflict between the Federal government of Mexico, Mexican government and various Drug cartel#Mexico, drug trafficking syndicates. When the ...
. A World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...
report stated that Mexico invested, as of 2009, a relatively high 5.3 percent of its GDP in education, yet its primary education system ranks poorly. The WEF's report blames this underperformance on the SNTE's opposition to reforms which could increase the effectiveness of education funding. This resulted in the appearance of the '' ninis'' (''ni trabajan ni estudian'', "neither work nor study"), an underclass of several million dropouts, of whom many ended up as combatants on the side of the cartels in the Mexican Drug War
The Mexican drug war is an List of ongoing armed conflicts, ongoing Asymmetric warfare, asymmetric armed conflict between the Federal government of Mexico, Mexican government and various Drug cartel#Mexico, drug trafficking syndicates. When the ...
.
Organisation
The SNTE is composed of a National President; a General Secretariat Executive; Chartered, National Governing Bodies; Auxiliary Organizations; and Associations of Solidarity. It is divided into 54 union delegations throughout Mexico.
The union organisation and administration currently numbers over 53,000 workers, providing members with all services plus health and educational support.
See also
*Education in Mexico
Education in Mexico has a long history. Indigenous peoples in Central Mexico created institutions such as the ''Tēlpochcalli, telpochcalli'' and the ''calmecac'' before the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire, Spanish conquest. The Royal and P ...
References
Further reading
*Cortina, Regina. "Gender and Power in the Teachers' Union of Mexico." Mexican Studies/Estudios Mexicanos (1990): 241–262.
*Cortina, Regina. "Women as leaders in Mexican education." Comparative Education Review 33.3 (1989): 357–376.
*Hecock, R. Douglas. "Democratization, education reform, and the Mexican Teachers' Union." Latin American Research Review 49.1 (2014): 62–82.
*Larreguy, Horacio, Cesar E. Montiel Olea, and Pablo Querubin. "Political Brokers: Partisans or Agents? Evidence from the Mexican Teachers' Union." American Journal of Political Science 61.4 (2017): 877–891.
*Lemus, María de la Luz Arriaga. "In Mexico, to defend education as a social right, we must fight for union democracy." ''The Global Assault on Teaching, Teachers, and their Unions Stories for Resistance''. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2008. 221–226.
*Levinson, Bradley A., Janet Blackwood, and Valerie Cross. "Recipients, agents, or partners?: The contradictions of teacher participation in Mexican secondary education reform." Journal of Educational Change 14.1 (2013): 1-27.
*Street, Susan. "When politics becomes pedagogy: Oppositional discourse as policy in Mexican teachers’ struggles for union democracy." Policy as practice: Toward a comparative sociocultural analysis of educational policy 1 (2001): 145-166.
*Torres, Carlos Alberto. "State corporatism, educational policies, and students’ and teachers’ movements in Mexico." Understanding educational reform in global context: Economy, ideology, and the state (1991): 115–150.
External links
Union website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sindicato Nacional De Trabajadores De La Educacion
Trade unions in Mexico
Politics of Mexico
Trade unions established in 1949
Education trade unions