Dallas Labor News January 6, 2017

CWA Says Union Networks More Critical Than Ever

Communications Workers and their allies were summoned to a nationwide telephone conference on the evening of January 5. President Chris Shelton said that union communications networks will be critical during the argument over the incoming presidential cabinet. Donald J Trump’s choices for his cabinet reveal difficult challenges for working Americans. Trump had said he would “drain the swamp,” but Shelton commented, “Instead of draining the swamp, he has stocked it with some of the strangest creatures ever!”

The nominee for Department of Labor is someone who “Wants no minimum wage, no overtime pay and wants robots and machines to have more work, not us,” Shelton said.

The nominee for Secretary of the Treasurey is a Goldman Sachs employee who designed many of the investment products that brought down our economy in 2008. Shelton: “This guy should be in jail, not overseeing our economy.”

The nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Service, Shelton said, is a, “Longtime advocate for privatizing Medicare.” In summary, Shelton said it is, “Truly a corporate cabinet that is rigged for the interests of the One Percent at our expense.”

Shelton introduced U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon to tell us how to fight the nominations. The key is to use our information networks to let the American public know the kind of people that Mr. Trump would put into positions of great power.

“Basically,” the Senator said, “we’re going to use as extended a hearing process as we can.” We will not be able to rely on newspersons, consequently union information networks will be critical. Labor’s friends in Congress will use the hearings to get all the information into the public realm. “Republicans,” Senator Merkley said, “will try to ram it through in relative secrecy.”

President Shelton described an aggressive plan of action for CWA members. They will be leafleting in shops, conducting on-line campaigns, and holding meetings to help spread the word. They set up a special web site at www.blockthecorporatecabinet.com.

Union information systems have never been more critical.

Our History Matters

Dallas AFL-CIO is starting a labor history section on the web site. "You can't know where you are if you don't know where you've been." Everyone is invited to contribute what they know about the history that is vital for understanding our present situation as working people in Dallas County.

Labor history is not the same "history" that we learn in school. The school version, for example, might say that John D Rockefeller started the American oil industry. But thousands of roughnecks and drillers actually did it.

One excellent addition to our knowledge of what working Texans have done is the new book, "Blue Texas" by Dr. Max Krochmal. He will be talking about the book on KNON's "Workers Beat" program at 9AM on January 7. Tune in 89.3FM or use http://knon.org. The call-in number for your questions and comments is 972-647-1893.

Local Resistance Planned

People expect the worst as the new government takes charge. The National AFL-CIO is signing people up for whatever may come. Locally, labor and other organizations are making plans. There may be as many as three separate rallies and/or marches on Inauguration Day alone, for example. Several North Texas buses have already filled up for the trip to Austin for the Million Women March on January 21.

Retirees had a national "call in" day on January 4 and is setting up another one for January 23. Organizer Judy Bryant compiled a list of critical congressperson's local numbers:

 Cong. Sam Johnson, CD03            469-304-0382

Cong. John Ratcliffe 04                   972-771-0100

Cong. Jeb Hensarling 05                 214-349-9996

Cong. Joe Barton 06                        817-543-1000

Cong. Michael Burgess 26             940-497-5031

Cong. Eddie Bernice Johnson 30  214-922-8885

Cong. Pete Sessions 32                   972-392-0505

Cong. Marc Veasey 33                     214-741-1387

More Actions Coming Up

Now: Eligible voters should sign up for vote-by-mail

Jan 7, 9A: Historian Max Krochmal on KNON radio "Workers Beat" 89.3FM

Jan 7, 10A: PARK CITIES/CENTRAL DALLAS DEMOCRATS speaker LANCE LOWRY, HEAD OF TEXAS CORRECTIONAL EMPLOYEES LOCAL 3807 on Texas prison reform. University Park Public Library, 8383 Preston Center Plaza, Suite 300, UP 75225

Jan 7, 9A-5:30P: All day workshops with speaker Jim Hightower at 1408 N Washington. Call 817-881-6287 or 817-921-0433.

Jan 8, 11A-2P: DFW “Our Revolution” Organizing Meeting CWA Hall 1408 North Washington Avenue 75204

Jan 9, 8PM: Fair Wages Ft Worth open meeting. Tommy's Hamburgers 2455 Forest Park Blvd. Fort Worth, 76110. fairwagefw@gmail.com

Jan 10: Beginning of State Legislature

Jan 16: Martin Luther King Jr birthday celebrations. The Dallas parade will begin at 10am but parade line up starts at 8am on Cleveland street/ MLK Jr. Blvd. Parking: please make personal arrangements for transportation to the parade/lineup. The parade route is 1 mile long and ends at the Pennsylvania parking lot in Fair Park. Also, we will be registering voters at this event by having volunteers walk with a clip board amongst the spectators. More details about the parade will be learned on Jan.12th. FW parade is downtown at 11A

Jan 19, 7:30P: Dallas Central Labor Council for affiliated union members at 1408 N Washington. Call 214-826-4808

Jan 20: Inauguration day in Washington DC