The Dallas AFl-CIO Central Labor Council planning meeting takes place at 7:30 PM every Third Thursday. Affiliated members and special guests go over situations affecting workers in Dallas County and work out winning strategies. The May 17 meeting is sure to take up ongoing election work, the petitioning campaign for paid sick time, defending public education, and, always, organizing.
Hit It for Early Voting
Early voting for the May 22 Texas runoff begins Monday and runs through May 19. We will be canvassing on Saturdays at 10AM and phone banking on Mondays 5:30-8:30PM. No experience required, just show up at 1408 N Washington and Political Director Lorraine Montemayor (lmontemayor.dallasaflcio@gmail.com, 214-448-1557 ) will get us started. Here are important labor-endorsed candidates in the runoff:
- Texas Governor: Lupe Valdez
- U.S. Representative, CD 32: Colin Allred
- Texas House District 109: Carl Sherman
- District Judge, 68th District: Martin Hoffman
- District Judge, 193rd District, Carl Ginsberg
- County Court at Law#4: Ken Tapscott
- County Criminal Court of Appeals#2: Pamela Luther
- Justice of the Peace, PCT#4, Place 2: Sasha Moreno
- Constable Pct#4: dual endorsement for Edward Wright and Sha Steger Knight
- Constable Pct#5: Beth Villarreal
Labor’s School Board Candidate Faces June Runoff
In June, working families will be working to re-elect Bernadette Nutall to the Dallas Independent School Board District Nine. She will have to come from slightly behind as her opponent drew 47% and she drew 32% of the vote in the first round. According to the Dallas newspaper, her main opponent raised $77,254 to Nutall’s $17,600, a quadruple money advantage for the establishment candidate. They always have the money, but we have the people!
Fight for Right to Education
After school employees in five states won big gains, all eyes are on North Carolina. Locally, Alliance/AFT, the school employees’ union, showed the film “Backpack Full of Cash” on May 8. The movie explains how dark money is attempting to rob America’s right to education. Arrangements for more showings can be made from their web site, http://www.backpackfullofcash.com/
Petitioning Continues
All over the City of Dallas petitioners are asking for signatures for a ballot initiative to win paid sick time. The City of Austin already has it. According to Arash Faraset of Workers Defense Project, the entire state of New Jersey will soon deliver paid sick leave to their workers. A good way to get involved is to text Arash: arashfarasat@yahoo.com at 469-278-3104.
Did You Get Your $5000?
Last December, Congress and the President gave over a trillion dollars in tax cuts to the wealthy. Corporations and politicians indicated that they would spend their big gains on big wage increases and bonuses. Instead, they are doing what Apple did. According to the Dallas newspaper, they are giving their shareholders $2 billion directly, then further boosting stockholders by spending $100 billion to buy back their own stock.
Involve Your Friends
We win when we fight together, and the more there are of us the more we win. "Like" us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/dallasaflcio/. Tell your friends to receive this newsletter by writing genelantz.dallasaflcio@gmail.com. For timely updates on actions, text @laborrel to the phone number 81010. For weekly Texas labor news, write ed@texasaflcio.org.
More Actions Coming Up
May 12, 10A: Block walking begins at 1408 N Washington
May 12: National Association of Letter Carriers "Stamp Out Hunger" Food Drive
May 12, 10:30A: Reception begins before showing of new Malcolm X movie at 7701 W Westmoreland
May 14-19: Early vote for primary run-off election
May 14, 5:30 P: Phone Banking from 1408 N. Washington Ave. Dallas, 75204
May 15, 9A-Noon: PROTEST CHASE'S ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER MEETING at 8181 Communications Pkwy, Plano, TX 75024 https://www.facebook.com/events/251409105429919/
May 17, 7:30P: Dallas AFL-CIO Central Labor Council planning session for all affiliated members. Proposed guests should contact Mark York (dallasaflcio@gmail.com, 214-826-4808)
May 19, 10:00A door-to-door canvassing from 1408 N. Washington Ave. Dallas, 75204
May 21, 5:30P: Phone banking from 1408 N. Washington Ave. Dallas,75204
May 22: Primary runoff election day