Tomorrow and Tomorrow, The Fight Is On!
“We are seeing the rise of an authoritarian regime.”
-- CWA International President Claude Cummings, labor and civil rights leader from Houston
Off to Austin!
Buses have been arranged to carry activists to the 11AM August 16 rally against unfair redistricting at the state capitol. It may not be too late to arrange free transportation by clicking this AFL-CIO link. Some people will be taking commercial transportation, organizing car pools, or just driving to what will likely be the largest, best organized, and most significant protest so far in Texas. Among other attractions, legendary Farmworker Organizer Dolores Huerta will be speaking!
How Bad?
In the days since Donald Trump's troops took over the nation's capitol and began threatening other cities, several important leaders have spoken out. At the Communications Workers convention, President Claude Cummings said, "Donald Trump and his corporate backers are a giant threat to the future of U.S. democracy, endangering an independent judiciary, a free press, a responsive Congress, and private institutions... We once again find ourselves in the age of robber barons who have captured and corrupted our government.... We are seeing the rise of an authoritarian regime.”
The President and CEO of the Urban League, Marc H. Morial, told his members, “We are in a crisis. One like we’ve never seen before. It is a state of emergency for something much broader than Black America—it’s a state of emergency for American democracy.”
How Good?
Although no clear national fightback program has been adopted, labor is taking its rightful lead in building coalitions that can defeat dictatorship. Our retiree constituency group organized a round dozen August events. Contact judy4tara@aol.com. Our Young Active Labor Leaders are putting together a statewide summit of youth activists. Contact state@txyall.org.
Nationally, the AFL-CIO is promoting actions before, during, and after Labor Day, September 1. They have posted a map of important activities.So far, we have three speakers attending religious services during the period, but the main labor activities are the Dallas AFL-CIO Labor Day Breakfast and the Tarrant County Labor Fest. Click here for the Tarrant leaflet and full information. The Dallas leaflet is below.
The prestigious Dallas AFL-CIO breakfast is gathering sponsorships, tables, and individual tickets at this link.
Need More Information?
- Political Committee Earnest Tilley keeps track of all Dallas labor activities: etilley2006@yahoo.com
- Texas Alliance for Retired Americans: Judy Bryant judy4tara@aol.com
- Young Active Labor Leaders: Stu Becker stubecker89@gmail.com
- Donnie Jolly of ATU: donniejolly@yahoo.com
- Katina Range of APWU: katinarange@dallasapwu.org
- Rena Honea of Alliance/AFT: rena@alliance-aft.org
- Dallas AFL-CIO web site: http://texasaflcio.org/dallas
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. Paste Bit.ly/DallasCLC?r=qr into your browser and join our Dallas political program. Everyone is encouraged to join the national Department of People Who Work for a Living. Please also subscribe to the Texas AFL-CIO weekly newsletter by writing to labor@texasaflcio.org. We are fighting for working families in every available arena.
MORE ACTIONS COMING UP
Aug 16, 11A: Rally outside Austin State Capitol, 11th & Congress. Contact tara@texasaflcio.org or 737) 224-3260
Aug 18, 1P: Rally for fair contract with PSA AFA-CWA flight attendants at DFW Terminal E Upper Level, South Entrance Sidewalk. Details and RSVP Here! https://actionnetwork.org/event_campaigns/afa-psa-august-18-day-of-action. Info: danasweat@afapsa.org
Aug 27, 12:30PM: Retiree rally at Fort Worth Machinists’ Hall, 7711 Clifford, White Settlement. Contact mabens13@yahoo.com or 817-372-7497
Aug 31, 10:30A: Gene Lantz speaks for labor at Pathways Unitarian Church, 481 W Harwood Rd in Hurst
Sep 1, 8:30A: Labor Day Breakfast at Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas. Contact jtomlinson.dallasaflcio@gmail.com
Sep 1, 11A: Tarrant County Labor Fest at The Shack Panther, 395 Purcey, Fort Worth. Contact
angi.defelippo@tcclc.org
Sep 3, 12:30P: Dallas Chapter of Texas Alliance for Retired Americans meets at 334 Centre in Dallas. Contact Judy4tara@aol.com or 214-729-0063
Sep 5-7: YALL state convention at Dallas Convention Center. Contact state@txyall.org
Sep 6: Labor Day Parade in New York City
Sep 7: Grandparents Day. Contact judy4tara@aol.com