The History of Teacher Union Movements in the MENA Region: Different countries, countless times, one same cause

Opinion analysis by Johnny Achkar, Staff Writer and Maria Wehbe, Featured Writer

In the Global North, teacher union movements are among the largest labor organizations, with mandatory union membership fees, making them powerful policy actors with the financial wherewithal to lobby in politics. However, due to this influence, teacher union movements have “fewer allies and are politically isolated”. As a result, just displaying the strength of teacher union movements is insufficient: without a thorough grasp of their mission, aims, attitudes, as well as the difficulties faced that influence their actions, it diminishes their credibility at times.