Dancers Show How to Win

The Fired Black Dancers have won a string of historic victories:

Financial compensation of over half a million dollars
Very public apologies from theater management
The right to seek unemployment compensation without objection from management
More organizing opportunities
Continued punishment for union busting because the City Council denied a $248,000 theater subsidy
Complete sellout of tickets for their December 18 & 19 benefit performances. Genelantz.dallasaflcio@gmail.com has 6 of his original 10 left.

Labor-endorsed City Councilman Paul Ridley was instrumental in winning. Our Young Active Labor Leaders, particularly Arash Farasat, David Lowery, and Rose Curts, led the solidarity effort, but our entire North Texas labor movement backed them. Griff Braun, organizer for AGMA, the Dancers' union, sent a special thanks to AFL-CIO leaders; however, it is we who should be thanking the Dancers and their union for it was their courageous and resolute commitment to winning that brought victory.

Get As Close As Possible to Organized Labor

Labor won many victories during the Biden years, but the coming Trump years will call for the strongest defenses. Organized labor provides the strongest and most democratic defensive strategy. Everyone should join a union if possible. If it's not possible, there are several ways to get close to labor:

1) Join the AFL-CIO"s wide open on-line organization, "Working America," and try to get them active

2) Join any labor constituency group that will allow non-union members. The rules get fuzzy, Some groups deny participation. Others encourage anybody to join, like Texas Alliance for Retired Americans (judy4tara@aol.com) and Young Active Labor Leaders (stubecker89@gmail.com). Texas Women's Committee (rjust2219@att.net) may be open to all.

3) Join organizing campaigns. A particularly interesting one is the nationwide effort to organize techies. Here in Dallas, one of our YALL leaders (oakcliff.tx4069@outlook.com) has started a group

4) Participate in union-led activities the way that many non-union members do for the Fired Black Dancers' campaign. For example, buy tickets for yourself and your friends for the Dancers' December 19 benefit performance. Start getting ready for major coalition-building marches on January 18.

Run for Office

National labor leaders encourage us to run for political office at every opportunity. Our immediate battles may be in marches and pickets, but no one can afford to ignore political opportunities and challenges. Dallas AFL-CIO Political Director Earnest Tilley has provided candidate-information2025. There are Dallas City Council and DISD School Board seats coming up in the May 3 election. The filing deadline is February 14. Candidate applications are on-line at https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/pol-sub/2-49f.pdf.

Please Join Our Solidarity Brigade

Click here to get updates whenever activists are needed. For text alerts, send the word "action" to the phone number 235246. For the best Texas labor news, write ed@texasaflcio.org. Paste Bit.ly/DallasCLC?r=qr into your browser and join our political program.

Contact List

Political Committee Earnest Tilley etilley2006@yahoo.com
Pride at Work Shayla Nguyen shaylan3912@gmail.com
Texas Alliance for Retired Americans Judy Bryant judy4tara@aol.com
Young Active Labor Leaders Stu Becker stubecker89@gmail.com

MORE ACTIONS COMING UP

Dec 13, 5PM: Evening shift volunteers needed to help with Steelworkers organizing drive. Contact Lou Luckhardt at lluckhardt.dallasaflcio@gmail.com or 214-826-4808

Dec 17, 11A: Picket with CWA flight attendants at DFW

Dec 18 & 19, 7:30: Fired Black Dancers Benefit performance at Latino Cultural Center. Tickets are sold out!

Dec 30: Deadline for registration and $150 fee for the Dallas MLK parade on Jan 18.

Dec 31: Possible government shutdown

Jan 3: New Congress sworn in

Jan 8, 12:30A: Dallas Chapter of Texas Alliance for Retired Americans meets at 334 Centre. Judy4tara@aol.com To participate on-line, register here

Jan 9, 11A: Covered dish luncheon at 2218 E Main in Grand Prairie. To participate on-line, register here

Jan 11, 9A-3P: Citizens Clinic for green-card holders who want to be citizens and people who want to help them at 334 Centre. Contact lluckhardt.dallasaflcio@gmail.com

Jan 16, 7:30P: Central Labor Council meeting for all affiliated union members

Jan 18: Dallas MLK and other marches are scheduled. They will surely find a way to come together, Join the labor contingent!

Jan 20: New President sworn in

Jan 25, 2P: Debates for candidates for Texas Democratic Party Chair either at the LBJ Ranch or via Zoom

Jan 31: Deadline for eligible high school seniors to apply for the Texas AFL-CIO Scholarship — a one-time $1,500 grant learn more

Feb 24-27: 2025 Construction Working Minds Summit, at the Sheraton Arlington Hotel, 1500 Convention Center Drive. More info here