This Monday, approximately 3 million students are expected to return to schools in Buenos Aires City, Chubut, Córdoba, Entre Ríos, Mendoza, San Luis, Santa Cruz, and Santa Fe. However, this return is happening amidst a 24-hour strike convened by national teaching unions, which is expected to have a varied impact depending on the situation in each province. In Buenos Aires City and Mendoza, unions have already reached agreements with the authorities.

The strike, organized by Ctera and the teaching unions of the CGT (UDA, Hug, CEA, and SADOP), is a call for the update of the guaranteed minimum wage, which is defined at the national level and sets a floor for provincial salaries. After the announcement of unemployment, the Human Capital Ministry convened a meeting to negotiate the Monday at 3:00 p.m. in the Ministry of Labor. The last time the minimum teacher salary was updated was in August 2024, when the national government set it at $420,000.

The figures of teaching salaries show a huge disparity between the provinces: in January, in Catamarca, the minimum salary was $420,000, in line with the national salary floor but below the poverty line, while in Black River, that same salary amounted to $931,186 according to the Union of Argentine Teachers (UDA).

The claim of national teaching unions also includes the restitution of the National Teaching Incentive Fund (Fonid), a portion of the salary that the nation financed and was interrupted by the current government. Ctera, the majority teaching confederation, also convened unemployment to a “national day of protest” that will include “concentrations, open radios, flying and visibility actions.”

In Buenos Aires City, the minister Mercedes Miguel assured the beginning of classes this Monday for students of initial and primary levels — the secondary level begins on March 5. “We guarantee the beginning of classes. All initial and primary level boys will find open schools,” said Miguel, and highlighted the reform of the Primary curriculum design: “We change the way of teaching to read and write. And we did it based on the evidence, to which we know that it works: the boys can learn to read and to write, we have to teach them explicitly and structured.“

In Buenos Aires City, a 5% increase as of February 1, which carries the salary of the Simple Day teacher without seniority to $704,017. Minister Miguel stressed that the government of Jorge Macri has no problems with the guilds and explained: “We have a Trade union table where everything that has to do with labor issues of the teaching career is discussed, but also about public policies that in their new design or in their implementation they have an impact on some work aspect of teachers. The unions are an important part to implement our decisions.“

In Mendoza, there will also be unemployment. The union HUNDREDS on Friday accepted the salary offer of the government of Alfredo Cornejo, which foresees increases of 7% in March, 2.5% in April, 2% in May, and 1.5% in June. In March, the minimum guaranteed teaching salary for a simple day teacher will be $610,000. The provincial government will begin to apply the “Item roots,” approved by law, which implies a “incentive to ‘dedication’” and is intended for teachers and teachers with more than two years in the same school. The amount will be proportional to antiquity in each institution.

In Córdoba, the majority guild, the UEPC, announced its adhesion to the national teaching strike. This Monday, a provincial assembly of departmental delegates was planned to define whether the salary offer of the government of Martín Llaryora but it was postponed to Tuesday 25. According to the official proposal, in February the salary of a simple and unstresseding teacher would be $769,841.

In Santa Fe, AMSAFÉ rejected the salary proposal of the government of Maximiliano Pullaro and also announced adhesion to Monday’s national strike. The provincial authorities offered the teaching unions an increase in 3.1% for January and 1.9% for February, with minimum guaranteed amounts of $50,000 and $70,000 (respectively), in line with the provisions of state and health workers.

In Entre Ríos, Agmer also summoned unemployment after rejecting the salary offer of the government of Rogelio Frigerio. On Monday, there will be a mobilization in the city of Paraná. The decision was questioned by the head of the General Council of Education, ALICIA FREGONESE: “It is a pity that we cannot think about the importance of the child being at school,” he said.

Classes begin in Neuquén on Tuesday, February 25. After Carnival, on Wednesday, March 5, the students of the provinces of Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Corrientes, Chaco, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Misiones, Río Negro, Salta, San Juan, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego, and Tucumán will be added.

That day, the students of secondary in the city of Buenos Aires. Corrientes, Formosa, Jujuy, and Salta had originally planned on Monday 24, but postponed the beginning by the heat wave. For its part, San Juan — where temperatures of more than 40 degrees are planned — defined starting with a week of virtual classes and also postponed the return to the classrooms for March 5.

This situation in Argentina highlights the broader challenges faced by educators worldwide, including issues of fair compensation, adequate resources, and safe working conditions. In the United States, similar debates are ongoing, with teachers in various states advocating for better wages and working conditions. For instance, in West Virginia, teachers went on strike in 2018, demanding better pay and benefits, which led to a 5% raise for all public employees. In California, educators have been pushing for higher salaries and smaller class sizes, citing the need for better support for both teachers and students.

In Argentina, the heat wave has added an additional layer of complexity to the situation. Extreme weather conditions can disrupt school operations and affect the health and safety of students and teachers. In the U.S., schools in regions prone to extreme weather events, such as hurricanes in Florida or wildfires in California, have had to implement emergency protocols and contingency plans to ensure the safety of students and staff.

The situation in Argentina serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing the multifaceted challenges faced by educators. Ensuring fair compensation, adequate resources, and safe working conditions are crucial for maintaining a high-quality education system. As educators worldwide continue to advocate for better conditions, policymakers must prioritize their needs to create a more supportive and effective educational environment.