Public schools in Bahía Blanca faced significant disruptions on Friday, September 18, as the local branch of the SUTEBA teachers’ union organized a day of protest and mobilization against a visit by President Javier Milei, according to reports from La Nueva and Infogremiales. Educational institutions across initial, primary, and secondary levels reported partially or totally interrupted activities depending on individual institutional adherence.
Union Demands and Mobilization Details in Bahía Blanca
According to La Nueva, the protest action was organized by the Multicolor sector of SUTEBA, which called for a concentration and march starting at 3:30 PM at the corner of Avenida Colón and Chiclana in Plaza Rivadavia. Union representatives stated in a communiqué published by Infogremiales that families are struggling under economic pressures while the administration implements budget cuts.
The union’s platform includes demands for increased public education budgets, the opening of national collective bargaining talks, salary and pension updates aligned with the basic household basket, and the rejection of the proposed “Educational Freedom” bill. Additional demands cited by La Nueva involve the restitution of funds owed by the national government to the province—including the FONID—defense of the PAMI healthcare program, compliance with the Disability Emergency Law, and an end to job precarity.
Earlier in the day, the Celeste List faction of the union held a separate demonstration starting at 10:00 AM at Plaza Rivadavia under the banner that President Milei was unwelcome in the city, as reported by La Nueva. Organizers from both factions announced they would issue union attendance certificates to participants, according to Infogremiales.
Impact on the 2026 Academic Calendar
With Friday’s stoppage, the local school calendar reached 23 days without regular classes during 2026 due to various union actions, including strikes, assemblies, and protest days, according to La Nueva and Infogremiales. Previous disruptions recorded by the Suteba branch in Bahía Blanca included four dates in March, three in April, three in May, three in June, two in July, and four in August. Additional school interruptions during the year included a 48-hour strike by the ATE education section on June 24 and 25, and a national strike called by CTERA on August 3, as documented by La Nueva.
