**Teachers Open Tijuana-Tecate Toll Booth to Protest Non-Payment of Substitute Teachers**
Educators from the Baja California State Resistance Movement of SNTE Section 2 have once again taken over the Tijuana-Tecate toll booth. In a stand against unpaid wages for substitute teachers, they allowed motorists to pass without paying the toll. This marks the second time educators have freed the toll booth as part of their protest efforts.
The demonstrators are also calling for several other demands: the regularization of educators who have met their work schedules, the conversion of UMA to the minimum wage in pensions and retirements, and the rejection of the Usicamm law.
From early Wednesday morning, around 150 education workers, accompanied by parents, lined up with banners displaying their grievances, allowing cars to pass freely.
Marco Antonio Pacheco, leader of the State Resistance Movement, emphasized that over three thousand substitute teachers are still awaiting their salaries. “Payments made so far have been insignificant,” remarked Pacheco. “Moreover, the salary increase differential, which should be retroactive, has also not been fully paid. Consequently, around 55% of preschools, primary schools, and secondary schools are still without classes.”
Despite assurances from Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda, the governor of Baja California, that schools are operational and payments have been made on scheduled dates, including the retroactive pay as of August 13 and 30, educators assert that the funds received are far from what is owed.
In addition to toll booth takeovers, the teachers have also staged other protests, including blocking access to the educational system’s delegation in Tijuana and the SNTE Section 2 offices in the 20 de Noviembre neighborhood.
**Further Developments on Teacher Protests in Baja California**
In related news, tensions between Baja California educators and the government continue to escalate. Teachers recently blocked the SENTRI lanes at the San Ysidro border crossing, causing significant delays for travelers. The educators’ protests stem from ongoing issues surrounding unpaid wages, inadequate resources, and a call for more significant reforms within the educational system.
Governor Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda stated on August 30 that the state’s financial obligations to educators, including salary increases and retroactive pay, had been met. However, Marco Antonio Pacheco, the spokesman for the protesting teachers, insisted that the payments were insufficient and that many schools remain closed due to striking staff.
The conflict underscores a broader dissatisfaction among public workers in Baja California, including judicial employees who have recently sought to join a new union due to a lack of support.
As the stand-off continues, communities are feeling the brunt of these labor disputes, with disrupted education services and ongoing public demonstrations. It remains to be seen how the state government will address these mounting issues to bring about a resolution.