National Education Association Protests IMF Pressure on Teachers in Jamaica

The National Education Association (3.2 million members) sent a letter of protest to the U.S. Treasury Department over reports pressure from the International Monetary Fund was causing the Jamaican government to violate contracts with Jamaican teachers. Text below; the PDF is here.

———  

August 10, 2010

 

Timothy F. Geithner

Secretary, Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C. 20220

 

Re: IMF and Jamaican Teachers Association

 

 

Dear Secretary Geithner:

 

 

The National Education Association (NEA) would like to express our

concern about reports that pressure from the International Monetary

Fund (IMF) is causing violations of fairly negotiated agreements

between Jamaican Teachers Association and the Government of Jamaica.

We respectfully request that you look into this matter.

 

The Brown amendment included in the Supplemental Appropriations bill,

which also contained the United States’ IMF funding request, requires

the U.S. director at the IMF to oppose any loans that fail to exempt

health, education and other safety nets from budget caps. As the major

shareholder and the only party with veto power at the IMF, the United

States is in a critical position to exercise leadership in its voting

at the IMF Executive Board.

 

The Brown Amendment is essential to defend countries’ right to invest

in their public services and stimulate their economies. Especially in

a time of recession, it is vitally important that the United States

make use of the Brown Amendment by explicitly instructing our IMF

director to oppose any and all IMF programs that do not exempt health,

education and other safety nets from budget caps.

 

We request your assistance in determining how the United States’

representative voted on the recent IMF agreement with Jamaica and in

ensuring that the tenets of the Brown Amendment inform all of our

actions with the IMF.

 

Thank you for your assistance in this important matter.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Dennis Van Roekel, President

 

The National Education Association of the United States

 

cc: Executive Directors, International Monetary Fund

 

Senator Sherrod Brown

 

Bill Ratteree, International Labor Organization

 

Fred Van Leeuwen, General Secretary, Education International

 

Peter Waldorff, Public Services International

 

Adolph Cameron, General Secretary, Jamaican Teachers Association

 

Michael Stewart, President, Jamaican Teachers Association

 

Assibi Napoe, Chair, Global Campaign for Education

 

 

 

1201 16th St., N.W. | Washington, DC 20036 | Phone: (202) 833-4000

Dennis Van Roekel President Lily Eskelsen Vice President Rebecca S.

Pringle Secretary-Treasurer John I. Wilson Executive Director