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P 082008Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY MEXICO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4131
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
INFO RUEHXC/ALL US CONSULATES IN MEXICO COLLECTIVE
RUEHXI/LABOR COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 MEXICO 006391 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL/AWH AND ILSCR, WHA/MEX AND PPC, USDOL FOR ILAB 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ELAB ECON PGOV CASC KDEM PINR MX
SUBJECT: NATIONAL TEACHERS' UNION SAYS GOVERNMENT ACTIONS 
FURTHER COMPLICATES SITUATION IN OAXACA 
 
REF: (A) MEXICO 6128 (B) MEXICO 5982 
 
 ¶1.  Summary: The National TeachersQ, Union (SNTE) sharply 
criticized the GOM for negotiating directly with the striking 
teachers in Oaxaca.  In SNTEQ,s view these negotiations, 
which bypass the national union, will only prolong OaxacaQ,s 
civil unrest and could potentially spread the problem to 
other parts of Mexico. SNTE also claims the negotiations once 
again change the civil unrest from a labor problem back into 
a political problem. Given the recent events in Oaxaca, (i.e. 
the introduction of federal forces, rioting in the center of 
the stateQ,s capital and the death of a US Citizen reporter) 
the GOM undoubtedly believed that it could not afford to 
ignore any opportunity that might ultimately resolve the long 
running civil unrest.  This latest development, and the 
obvious annoyance of the SNTE, makes it all the more likely 
that OaxacaQ,s political/labor crisis will not be resolved 
before the December 1st, inauguration of MexicoQ,s incoming 
presidential administration.  End Summary. 
 
 
-------------------------------- 
Labor Crisis or Political Crisis 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  For some five plus months Mexican federal and state 
authorities have been unable to find a satisfactory 
resolution to the civil unrest in the southeastern state of 
Oaxaca.  The unrest there, which begun as a rather 
unremarkable teachersQ, strike for higher wages, transformed 
itself into an increasingly complicated problem when 
excessive use of force by the stateQ,s governor prompted a 
number of civil society groups to join the protesting 
teachers on the barricades under the umbrella of the Oaxaca 
PeopleQ,s Popular Assembly (APPO).  The teachers and APPO 
ultimately called for the resignation of OaxacaQ,s governor 
as a condition for ending the civil unrest thus transforming 
what had been a labor problem into a political crisis. 
 
¶3.  As the crisis continued the teachers and APPO refused to 
deal with the state authorities; it consequently fell to 
MexicoQ,s federal government to try and resolve the 
situation.  One of the teachersQ, original demands was that 
Oaxaca be Q&rezonedQ8 for salary purposes.  Mexico is divided 
into a three education zones and the zone in which they work 
determines teachersQ, salaries.  Oaxaca -Q) one of MexicoQ,s 
poorest states --  is in a zone where the salaries are 
comparatively low. As a part of its efforts to resolve the 
situation in Oaxaca the federal government, specifically the 
Secretariats of Government (Interior) and Public Education, 
 
SIPDIS 
offered to rezone Oaxaca.  The striking teachers rejected the 
offer as too little too late since the offer did not include 
the governorQ,s resignation. 
 
------------------ 
SNTE To The Rescue 
------------------ 
 
¶4.  When federal authorities failed to reach an agreement 
with the protestors in Oaxaca they changed their approach. 
Rather than continue the unproductive talks with the striking 
teachers and APPO, federal authorities turned instead to the 
national leadership of the SNTE and union leader, Elba Ester 
Gordillo. In turning to the national union the GOM made them 
an offer they could not refuse (REF B).  The proposal of the 
federal government was an offer of $41.67 billon pesos 
(approximately USDOL 3.8 billion) over a six-year period to 
Q&rezoneQ8 all of Mexico.  The rezoning of all of Mexico 
would mean guaranteed salary increases for teachers 
nationwide for the entire period of the new presidential 
administration scheduled to take office on December 1, 2006. 
 
¶5.  With the offer of national rezoning in hand, the SNTE 
indicated that it would be able to persuade the striking 
teachers to return to their classroom.  Once the teachers 
were separated from APPO it was assumed the civil unrest 
would wind down.  SNTE expected to be the hero of the day 
with the nation for solving a seemingly intractable problem 
and with its members for winning a pay raise for teachers 
nationwide.  It didn't happen. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
The Unrest Continues and the GOM Again Changes Track 
--------------------------------------------- ------- 
 
¶6.  Despite the claim by SNTE that it could persuade the 
striking teachers to return to work, they soon discovered 
that money was no longer the only issue.  At least 50,000 of 
 
MEXICO 00006391  002 OF 002 
 
 
the 70,000 striking teachers refused to give up on the demand 
that OaxacaQ,s governor resign and the unrest continued. 
Moreover, the Oaxaca state section of the SNTE tends to be 
far more radicalized than the national union and does not 
fall in line behind the national union leadership.  With the 
clock running out before the December 1 change of 
presidential administrations, the outgoing government of 
President Vicente Fox finally decided  that time had come to 
use federal force once  three people, including a UCS 
reporter, were killed in clashes between APPO and state 
authorities. 
 
¶7.  After a six-hour battle, the 4000 plus federal police 
sent into OaxacaQ,s capital would ultimately reclaim the 
capital cityQ,s streets and impose order (Ref A).  However, 
at least eight protestors were hurt in the rioting. 
Moreover, although the striking teachers have agreed to 
return to class, press reports indicate that they still had 
significant (moral) support for APPO and its demand that the 
governor of Oaxaca resign.  As it became clear that SNTE 
could not fully deliver the teachers, and in the wake of the 
escalated violence, the GOM again tried talking to the 
protestors. 
 
------------------------- 
SNTE Left Out of The Loop 
------------------------- 
 
¶8.  At this point it is not clear exactly when the GOM 
resumed direct contact with the Oaxaca teachers. For the most 
part the talks with the teachers had been rather low key. 
The talks were so low key that they did not include any 
representative from SNTE. The national union was not happy 
about being left out of the GOMQ,s talks with the Oaxaca 
teachers and publicly expressed its displeasure. 
 
¶9.  On November 5 the SNTE issued a 14-point communiquQ to 
express its displeasure over the direct talks between the GOM 
and the Oaxaca.  The communiquQ sharply criticized federal 
authorities for bypassing the national union and engaging in 
Q&unilateral negotiationsQ8.  For all practical purposes SNTE 
described the talks as illegal, claiming they were taking 
place outside the norms of MexicoQ,s labor laws.  Moreover, 
the SNTE specifically accused Secretary of Government Carlos 
Abascal Carranza and Public Education Secretary Reyes Tamez 
Guerra of engaging in activities that would prolong the 
unrest in Oaxaca and that could very possibly spread the 
crisis to other parts of Mexico. SNTE also repeatedly 
underscored that, under Mexican law, only the national union 
could negotiate labor issues on behalf of teachers.  Thus far 
there has been no public GOM reaction to the SNTE communiquQ. 
 
 
------- 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶10.  Given the recent in upsurge in violence in Oaxaca, it is 
not surprising that the GOM decided to negotiate directly 
with the striking teachers.  At this point, federal 
authorities undoubtedly believed that they could not afford 
to ignore any opportunity that might ultimately resolve the 
long running civil unrest.  The national unionQ,s response to 
the direct GOM/Oaxaca teachers negotiations was perhaps a bit 
strong, but not particularly surprising when viewed in 
context.  When the SNTE agreed to the rezoning of all of 
Mexico (and obtained the GOMQ,s promise of substantial 
funds), it received considerable media attention.  SNTEQ,s 
national leader, Esther Gordillo went to great lengths to 
appear as if she and the national union would be saving the 
day for the GOM in Oaxaca.  When the GOM left SNTE out of the 
loop in its talks with the Oaxaca teachers, it undercut the 
national unionQ,s very public claims that it could solve the 
civil unrest in Oaxaca as a labor problem instead of as a 
political problem.   This latest development, and the obvious 
annoyance of the SNTE, increase the likelihood that OaxacaQ,s 
political/labor crisis will not be resolved before the 
December 1, inauguration of MexicoQ,s incoming presidential 
administration 
 
 
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