"A University of the People, for the People!": Solidarity with Students for Autonomy, San Carlos University, Guatemala (Estudiantes por la Autonomía, EPA)

As students, workers, and community members in the United States and Canada struggling in defense of public education, we have been immensely strengthened by the example of movements in resistance against the privatization and neoliberalization of higher education across the world: in the Phillippines, in South Africa, in Puerto Rico and El Salvador, in Greece, Austria and various countries in Europe.  Now our solidarity and support turns to Guatemala and Students for Autonomy of the University of San Carlos (Estudiantes por la Autonomía, Universidad de San Carlos, EPA-USAC) and their allies, who have maintained the University under occupation since August 9 in protest against the systematic violation of the USAC's constitutionally-guaranteed rights.

We state our support for the principle demands of EPA, and condem the reduction of student votes in the election of the University's Board of Directors, due to a 2007 decision of the Guatemalan Constitutional Court, with the support of the University Administration (Consejo Superior Universitario, CSU). 

Friday 20 August, a group of angry students protested in front of the Government palace in Helsinki against the new budget proposal passed by the Government on Thursday. 

The students were outraged by the Government’s decision to withdraw all improvements in the Finnish student benefit promised to the student unions and still carry on with severe cuts and adding control measures. The students had brought sticks and canes with them in order to give them back to the minister of finance Jyrki Katainen, shouting slogans such as: “Where are the Carrots? Nowhere!” and “Cane Katainen!”.

The possibilities for educational equality in Finland have been gradually dismantled over the years, and the students feel increasing pressures to do part-time shit jobs to afford to study, increasing pressures and even more control mechanisms and disciplinary measures to “speed up” their studies. Recently a number of right-wing opinion-leaders have made vehement  statements in favour of tuition fees.  The last drop was the new budget proposal.

2700 union workers, members of SEIU Local 73 at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) are preparing to strike on Monday, August 23rd.  They are demanding job security and a fair contract.  They need your support.  The Network to Fight for Economic Justice (NFEJ) is calling on its affiliates and supporters to show your solidarity.

The strike is provoked by UIC’s attempts to undermine the union and by an administration trying to balance the budget on the backs of workers.  The UIC big wigs eliminated hundreds of civil service jobs by “reclassifying”, declaring the positions non-union.  Not surprisingly most of those “reclassified” jobs are going to whites, while Blacks and Latinos account for 95% of the union workers.  SEIU Local 73 is not going to allow this outrage!

An equally big issue is pay raises for union members.  UIC pleads poverty because of the State budget crisis, but has actually increased their budget through contributions from rich people.  Fact is the bosses at UIC are busy lining their pockets at the expense of workers, taxpayers, and students.  Apparently there is noveconomic crisis if you are a big boss at a state university.  President Hogan makes $620,000 per year with a $245,000 bonus over five years.  Hogan’s assistant took an 85% pay increase to make $195,000 per year!

The Chilean anti-riot police detained 101 students Monday after expelling them from three secondary schools in the center of the capital.

The students occupied those schools in the morning, demanding an education reform and reduction of public transportation fees. They were peacefully dislodged by the police upon mayor Pablo Zalaquett's request.

This was the second of its kind in less than one week.

Students representatives said they will not give in.

The spokeswoman for the Middle School Students Coordination Assembly, Victoria Riquelme, said on Monday the occupation of schools will take place in all of Santiago and spread to other regions as well.

Secretary General of the Student Center of the Middle School "Confederacion Suiza" Damian Contreras said the students had demanded secular, free and quality education, as well as free meals, health services and transportation for all the students in the country.