STRIKE

“Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will end up at the end of my sword .”

The Great Khan 1215

It didn't take long, but I am already changing attitudes and fighting the good fight for the little guy. Inspired by my own renegade attitude and dashing good looks, the professors at Ulaanbaatar's University of the Humanities stood up today and said "NO MORE!" Unhappy with their low wages and busy work schedules, the professors have decided that they aren't going to take it, and are now involved in a good old fashioned labor strike. I must say that I fully support their cause. Not only because their complaints are completely founded and justified, but also because I was supposed to work today. The strike means I get to take the day off for moral reasons, rather than hiding behind my usual amoral excuses.

The reasons for striking are very straightforward. In addition to teaching regular day classes, all of the teachers at the University of the Humanities are required to teach night classes as well. The night classes, or "Intensive Courses" are intended for professional Mongolians (doctors, lawyers, herders, wrestlers, etc.) to learn English. The students are primarily "Old Guard" Mongolians who were educated during the Soviet Era, learning Russian as their second language. "New Mongolians" are now all taught English starting in high school. The strike is entirely related to the teachers' wages for the intensive courses, so even if the strike lasts all year, I will still have to teach my regular day classes. If only I could find something wrong with those classes as well...

But onto specifics. The students pay roughly 45,000 Togrogs a week (approximately 40 dollars US). With ~280 students, this equates to just about 126,000,000 Togrogs brought in by the school per week. There are a total of 103 classes (each an hour and a half long) taught per week. Right now the teachers make just about 11,000 togrogs per class (about 5 dollars an hour). The teachers therefore split 1,133,000 togrogs between them per week, or less than one percent of the total tuition. The teachers' demands are to get the pay increased to 15,000 togrogs per class, which would put the wages just over 1 percent of the tuition.

I am baffled by this strike. I am not baffled that they are striking, but that they should even have to. Talks were had with the administration this summer and no changes were made. These teachers (myself included) are making less per hour than a sandwich artist at Subway, not including prep time and time spent grading the students and helping them after school. I am happy that they are taking a stand for change, but I can't help but think that they could have upped their demands a bit. Maybe ask for free water in the staff room (we have to pay for this) more than one reem of paper per month (again we pay if we use more), or at the very least, a private restroom for the teachers. The only bathroom is coed and shared with the students. Being taller than most Mongolians I can see clear over the stall walls. This means I either have to bend my knees awkwardly while urinating a la Billy Madison or run the risk of pulling a Chuck Berry and losing my job. To peep or not to peep? That is a question for another post.

I think that the teachers were inspired by my own negotiation skills. When told that I was living in a dorm with no working laundry machine, I yelled and screamed and argued until the school finally gave in to my demands. No laundry machine, but they did buy me a wash basin and a rag. I showed those suckers what's what.

Its impossible for me to gauge how serious this strike is. This is because all talk is in Mongolian, and also because Mongolians are as a people, impossible to faze. Their nomadic history and generally tough lifestyle has taught them to adapt to any situation. Crisis is not a Mongolian word. However, if they were freaking out in this, the 10th hour of the strike, I would be a little worried. They all expect it to end quickly, and when I look at the facts, I see no reason that it shouldn't. If it is prolonged, I might have to finally buy myself a guitar and write a catchy protest song.

"We are the teachers, and we're tired of your crap,
If you do not pay us, we'll give you the clap.
ESL stands for Everyone Should Learn,
So pay us kind friends or your school we will burn."

I'm a revolutionary, not a songwriter folks.

If any of the school directors are reading this, know that we are serious, and for the love of god, don't make us turn the proverbial flames of revolution into real ones.

Join us in our cause my friends! Sympathy Strikes are widely encouraged! Let our voices be heard!

I must now return to the picket line and hassle me some scabs.

Until next time,

Genghis "They Have the Plant, but We Have the Power" Chavez