Lone Star Labor: Keep up the fight
We’re keeping it short and sweet this week: Right now, working people across Texas are standing up to bad bosses and corrupt politicians. Just look at the news clips below!
Together, we can win higher wages, safer workplaces, and a government that works for all of us. We just need to keep up the fight!
AS GOES TEXAS LABOR…
Austin: With a CapMetro strike on the table, workers say better training would improve bus service — KUT News, featuring Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1091 President Brent Payne, Vice President Darrell Sorrells, and members Brenda Jackson and Matthew Smith
Austin: Former EMS union leader says first responders are overworked — The Austin Chronicle, featuring Austin EMS Association President James Monks and former union officers
Austin: Vigil honors Lorenzo Salgado, calls for answers after fatal ICE shooting — Austin American-Statesman, featuring American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 1624 member Juany Torres
Austin & Dallas: Game Workers March at six Xbox studios over 440 union cuts and stalled contracts — Tech Times, featuring Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Dallas: Closed libraries, city services frustrate Dallas residents as employees furloughed over budget issues — CBS News, featuring United Steelworkers (USW) Local 9487 Vice President John Mallon
Fort Worth: Lockheed Martin settles on terms with union workers as military buildup boosts production — Fort Worth Report, featuring Machinists Union (IAM) District 776 President Doyle Huddleston and Chief of Staff Cory Bennett
Houston: Houston demands action after killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo: ‘ICE hunts us like animals’ — The Guardian, featuring Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Texas Elsa Flores
San Antonio: At San Antonio rally, Democrat Gina Hinojosa says Gov. Abbott’s Winter Storm Uri response shows his failure to lead — San Antonio Current, featuring Texas State Employees Union (TSEU-CWA 6186) member Maria Luisa Rodriguez, and multiple labor-endorsed candidates
Texas City: This Texas chemical plant is forcing workers to choose between safety and their jobs — The Valley Labor Report, featuring International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 564 Business Agent Lewis Crawford
Statewide: Texas AFT says Abbott’s new Texas Classroom Commission unneeded — KSST Radio, featuring Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT) Government Relations and Policy Analyst Kelsey Kling
NEWS TO USE
Hundreds of economists say ‘we must act now’ on AI’s economic impact and job displacement risks — Associated Press
New research shows unionized construction crews are more cost-efficient, on-time — The Sacramento Bee
Tripling US union membership would shift $1.2tn to workers annually – report — The Guardian
AI & TECH NEWS BITE
AFL-CIO Worker-Centered AI Principle #8: Protect workers’ civil rights and uphold democratic integrity
When AI systems exclude a person based on their race, gender, age or disability or other protected characteristics, those uses violate their civil rights. When AI systems are used to produce misinformation and deepfakes, that undermines elections and our democracy. There should be serious consequences for both!
TEXAS LABOR FAMILY NEWS
🏃 ON THE MOVE
SEIU Texas released a video with our labor-endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate, James Talarico, talking to union members who work at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).
IBEW Local 278 (Corpus Christi) and Ruth Ellinger Leadership Academy alumnus Timothy Thomas graduated from trade school, officially becoming a journeyman.
Follow the new Coastal Bend Labor Council Facebook page here.
💐 IN MEMORY
Brother Cain Doll, member of United Association (UA) Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 286 (Austin), passed away on Jul. 5 at the age of 32.
Brother Donald Richard “Don” Stell, a 40+ year member of IBEW Local 681 (Wichita Falls), passed away on Jul. 4 at the age of 95.
Brother Ken Yarbrough, former state representative and labor leader, passed away on Jul. 10 at the age of 89. Ken served for 24 years as the business agent for UA Plumbers Local 68 (Houston). There, he developed a new dues structure that was later implemented nationally. From 1991 to 2003, he proudly represented District 138 in the Texas House of Representatives as one of the few rank-and-file union members to ever serve in the Texas Capitol. Throughout his career, he was a tireless advocate for working men and women.
Brother Rigoberto Zepeda, member of UA Pipe Fitters Local 211 (Houston), passed away on Jul. 13 at the age of 33.
Our hearts go out to their union families and all who loved them.
📜 THIS WEEK IN TEXAS LABOR HISTORY…
On Jun. 7, 1920 in Galveston during the Longshoremen’s strike, Texas Governor William P. Hobby declared martial law and sent in 1,000 national guard troops to destroy union effectiveness and try to guarantee an open-shop labor market. Learn more.
SOLIDARITY CORNER: EVENTS & ACTIONS
🚨 TAKE ACTION
STRIKE SUPPORT: Support Texas City Metal Trades Council members on ULP strike at Ashland Specialty Chemicals
SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENT: The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) is giving trade school electrician graduates 4,000 hours of on-the-job training (OJT) credit for hours they never completed. That’s two years of fake experience handed to people with ZERO real-world field time. This endangers public safety and devalues real electrician apprenticeships. Submit a comment here.
ADD YOUR NAME:
- Fort Worth: Fair contract for the Fort Worth NewsGuild
- Harris County: Give Harris Center employees a raise & stop union busting, supporting United Workers of Harris Center (UWHC - CWA Local 6154)
- Howard County: Stop the closure of FCI Big Spring, supporting American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3809
📆 EVENTS THIS WEEK
Friday, Jul. 17 in Texas City: ✊ Picket with Texas City Metal Trades Council at Ashland Specialty Chemicals
Workers at Ashland Specialty Chemicals in Texas City — represented by four unions with the Texas City Metal Trades Council, AFL-CIO — are on an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike. Join them every Friday from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Details.
Tuesday, Jul. 21 online: 👩🏻🏫 AFL-CIO Training - AI: Election Protection and Deepfakes
AI threats aren’t limited to the workplace or online scams; they can also spill over into broader society. This training will equip you with the skills to spot election deepfakes and uncover who's behind these tactics. Details.
NEW: Monday, Aug. 3 in Grand Prairie: 🎤 North Texas Labor Town Hall
Join us for the next stop on our statewide listening tour! We want to talk with North Texas members about the future of the labor movement and our state. Details.
See all upcoming Texas labor events here.
📝 APPLICATIONS & PROGRAMS
NEW: Texas AFL-CIO Solidarity School: Immigration Training Program
Registration deadline: Monday, Aug. 3
This four-part series will provide labor leaders with information on the political landscape in Texas that created the conditions for anti-union, anti-immigrant policies to pass, as well as actionable skills for unions to assess their rapid-response capabilities. Details.
💪 TEXAS UNION STAFF JOBS
- ⭐ Digital Organizer — Texas AFL-CIO
- Campaign Field Coordinator – Political and Field Mobilization Hub — AFL-CIO
📸 PHOTO OF THE WEEK
In San Antonio, Northside AFT (AFT Local 3216) just moved into a new union hall!
“This union hall belongs to our members. It’s a place where workers will organize, find support, build power, and continue fighting for the respect they deserve.” The hall will officially open on July 20.
Photo courtesy Northside AFT
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