### Teachers from CNTE Block San Ysidro Border Crossing Due to Unpaid Salaries
On Wednesday, August 28, 2024, teachers from the National Coordinator of Education Workers (CNTE) staged a blockade at the San Ysidro border crossing in Tijuana. The protest was in response to unpaid salaries, severance payments, interim wages, and retroactive pay.
“We are here once again to make sure the governor hears us and to let the international community know how teachers in Baja California are being treated. The claims about timely payments are false. Nearly three thousand teachers working on an interim basis have not been paid, and retroactive payments announced on May 15 have not been fulfilled,” said Marco Antonio Pacheco Peña, the CNTE State Coordinator in Baja California.
According to Pacheco, some teachers have been owed salaries since 2021, others from 2022 and 2023, and for the current year, leading to arrears amounting to approximately 50,000 pesos per individual.
Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda addressed the issue during her morning briefing, stating that only 93% of schools resumed classes on Monday, highlighting ongoing negotiations with the General Secretariat of Government for the remaining schools.
On August 15, the Secretary of Education, Luis Gilberto Gallego Cortez, announced that 33 million pesos had been paid for state interim teachers and 13 million for federal teachers. However, additional payments are still outstanding.
Pacheco Peña countered this by indicating that the proposed payments do not cover interim teachers, retired teachers’ severance, or other overdue payments, which impacts nearly three thousand interim workers in the state.
### Secondary Article
#### **Teacher Protests Escalate Across Mexico Over Unpaid Salaries**
As teacher protests in Baja California gain traction, similar actions are emerging in other parts of Mexico. In states like Chiapas and Oaxaca, CNTE members have organized demonstrations and threatened extended strikes unless their demands for timely payments are met.
In Chiapas, teachers have threatened to take over government buildings, while in Oaxaca, roadblocks have disrupted traffic for days. CNTE officials across these regions have voiced that delayed payments have left many educators in financial hardship, straining their ability to meet basic living expenses.
The federal government’s promises of disbursement to state educational departments have not fully materialized, adding to the frustration among educators. As these protests grow, the national dialogue around education funding and teacher remuneration is reaching a boiling point. Without prompt action, the disruption in the educational sector is poised to intensify, impacting millions of students nationwide.