Workers walked off the job after Aeromar said Feburary 15 that it is ceasing operation after 35 years in business, while Canada’s Liberal government is seeking cuts in real pay in stalled contract negotiations with government workers.
Many of the pieces powerfully convey the intensity of Hurricane Maria, the Category 5 hurricane that struck the island in September 2017.
Doctors across Peru began a two-day walkout to press funding demands, while 1,500 University of Minnesota service workers are threatening strike action over contract issues.
Governor Pedro Pierluisi and an executive from the privatized electricity company have walked back their promises that power would be restored within days.
Five years after Hurricane Maria, Puerto Rico has been devastated by Hurricane Fiona, leaving millions without power or potable water once again.
The US territory is still reeling from the effects of Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico exactly five years ago today.
Hurricane Fiona’s impact on Puerto Rico will be all the more devastating at a time in which the Puerto Rican society is still dealing with three major shocks: the COVID-19 pandemic, the considerable damage inflicted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria, and the ongoing effects of the island’s financial bankruptcy
The union for 4,500 Columbus, Ohio, teachers announced its intent to strike over management’s 3 percent pay offer while Uruguay unions have set a one-day strike for August 11 over proposed social security changes.
A spokesman for US Customs and Border Protection said 36 of those rescued are Haitian nationals, while the remaining two were from the Dominican Republic.
The ruling reflects the American ruling elite’s contempt for the impoverished population, whose workers and youth rose up in mass protests three years ago that toppled the Democratic Party aligned governor.
Workers rallied and carried out strikes across the island territory against the draconian terms imposed by the Financial Oversight Board.
Mass protests are culminating in a general strike across the island following the imposition of a debt settlement deal dictated by Wall Street that will gut wages and pensions.
Over the last two weeks a powerful movement of Puerto Rican teachers and public employees has been defying the governor and the Financial Oversight Management Board which controls the island’s finances.
Puerto Rico’s 25 years of financial implosion and economic decline will now take a new turn with the approval of the debt restructuring plan.
Elections in Puerto Rico saw a sharp decline in votes for the two main ruling parties, reflecting growing popular distrust and contempt toward the entire political establishment.
A lack of consistent running water will make it more difficult for frequent handwashing to limit the spread of the coronavirus which has already infected thousands on the island.
Even before the pandemic, the island was reeling from a decade-long economic recession, chronically low labor force participation rates and a public debt crisis that served as a pretext for years of severe austerity policies.
Businesses have been left to supervise themselves in all matters related to worker safety as the government’s regulatory agencies essentially wash their hands of the matter.
It took 15 days for the territory to register 100 confirmed cases, but it only took three days to register 100 more, indicating that the virus has already begun to spread rapidly through the population.
More than a month after an ongoing earthquake swarm began, the Trump administration is threatening to veto a bill that would allocate $4.7 billion in emergency aid to the island.
