Union Busting Is Disgusting
The biggest threat to democracy is union busting from the Musk/Trump aspiring dictatorship. That is why the Texas state labor federation holds Friday morning updates on developments and ways to gather our strength and fight back.
On May 9, activists heard from American Federation of Government Employees leaders Shannon Faulk and Karina Quintana. They said that the legal fight was going well and courts are ruling Musk/Trump actions illegal. A big problem for the federal employees’ unions came when Musk/Trump cut off their union dues checkoff. Like most American unions, they had grown used to having employers collect their dues with a few lines of code in their payroll computer programs. Now, they have been thrown back a century or so to the time when unions had to scramble to gather their members’ voluntary support. They are using a computerized collection service and may, in a reflection of the bad times we live in, never go back to dues checkoff!
Dallas AFL-CIO has featured public workers at every event we organized and every event we co-sponsor. It is suggested that we estimate the numbers of federal employees and retirees in every congressional district where we do any lobbying. Some good information is available on-line.
Everybody, especially AFGE members, needs to volunteer at this web page to see how they can help.
Biggest May Day Ever
When your Dallas Central Labor Council first began holding picnics for May 1 five years ago, hardly anybody in America was celebrating International Workers Day. This year, according to peoplesworld.org, there were 1,500 celebrations involving at least 250,000 people!
We endorsed several and organized two of our own. The Dallas chapter of Texas Alliance for Retired Americans held a picnic on May 1. The Central Labor Council sponsored its indoor/outdoor picnic on May 3. We made sure that everyone knew the importance of the historical date and, at the same time, the gravity of the challenges before us now.
Dallas labor is sure to continue the pace of fight back in all arenas up to and including our big Labor Day Breakfast in September.
Build On Our Electoral Victories
Dallas unionists won six and lost only one in the first round of local elections. We post election results on our web site. We have an opportunity for another victory in the runoff. Phone banking and door-to-door canvassing are already planned out. Be sure that Political Director Earnest Tilley has your contact info.
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
May 9, 6:30P (and every Friday): Protest Coordinating Committee meets on-line. All are welcome. Register (if you haven’t already)
May 9: Begin planning and carrying out runoff election activities with labor's political director. etilley2006@yahoo.com
May 15, 6P: On-line meeting on Organizing Texas Public Schools. Register
May 17, 5P: International Day of Action for peace in the Middle East at Ferris Plaza, 400 S Houston in Dallas
May 17, 7:30P: Dallas Central Labor Council meeting for all affiliated union members at 1408 N Washington Ave
May 19, 7P: Gene Lantz speaks on labor at Metrocrest Democrats, 3822 Beltline Road, Addison, Texas. Contact robinson_kimmy@yahoo.com
May 24 & 31, 9A: Block walking with Dallas AFL-CIO. etilley2006@yahoo.com
May 25, 10A: Gene Lantz speaks on the choices we face at Kiest Road Unitarian Church. genelantz.dallasaflcio@gmail.com
Jun 4, 12:30P: Dallas Chapter of Texas Alliance for Retired Americans meets at 334 Centre in Dallas. Contact judy4tara@aol.com
Jun 7, 5P: “The International Situation” discussion at Pan African Connection, 4460 Marsalis
Jun 7: Runoff elections
Jun 12, 11A: Texas retiree on-line update and discussion. register here
Jul 25-27: YALL state convention in North Texas