ALF Weekly Report — May 13th
The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation Weekly Report comes out (nearly) every Thursday with news and updates relevant to the Gulf Coast labor movement. To subscribe, click here.
Union Members Rally Against ‘Jim Crow 2.0’ Voter Suppression Bills
Last Saturday, members from Insulators Union Local 22, Teamsters Local Union №988, Houston Federation of Teachers, International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, Texas State Employees Union (CWA Local 6186), and HOPE Local 123 (Houston Organization of Public Employees) joined community allies at Emanicpation Park to demand an end to attacks on our right to vote.
The legacy of Jim Crow is a legacy of disenfranchisement. Poll taxes, literacy tests, and so-called right to work laws — all designed to silence the voices of our black and brown brothers and sisters and protect the institutions of white supremacy that oppress all workers.
We’re still fighting for our rights against those who want to treat our brothers and sisters like second class citizens and take us back to the days of Jim Crow.
Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher Thanks AFGE 1633 Members for Service through Pandemic
On May 11th, Representative Lizzie Fletcher stopped by the Houston Veteran Affairs Medical Center to visit with AFGE Local 1633 and to thank the doctors, nurses, and staff who have served our veterans through this pandemic.
HFT Members Work to Bring Fresh Fruit, Vegetables to Students and Families in Houston Food Deserts
Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables and nutrition education resources directly into families’ hands, has partnered with Texas AFT and HFT to support students and their families at Dogan Elementary School, located in Houston’s Fifth Ward.
USW 13–243 Lock-out at Beaumont Refinery Continues
On May 1st, ExxonMobil locked out our sisters and brothers in Beaumont, a decision that was unnecessary and malicious. Local 13–243 members have worked hard over the past 16 months — during the pandemic and through natural disasters — to safely maintain and operate the facility, only to be rewarded for their sacrifice by a door slammed in their faces.
Local 13–243 has set up a lock-out fund to help members. Checks should be made payable and sent to:
USW LU 13–243
Karla Konning, Treasurer
2490 S. 11th Street
Beaumont, TX 77701
Memo Line — Strike & Defense Fund
Union Members Work with Community Allies to Keep Working People in Gulfton Housed
Members from HOPE Local 123, IATSE Local 51, IUPAT DC 88, and OPEIU Local 129 helped keep nearly 150 people in Gulfton at immediate risk of eviction in their homes last Saturday. Since February, these union-led events have helped well over 1,000 working people across Harris County.
Fighting for working people means fighting to make sure all our brothers and sisters have the resources they need to thrive. And without stable housing, it’s nearly impossible for working people to get ahead.
Harris County Commissioners Vote to Authorize Lawsuit Against Voter Suppression Laws
Harris County signaled it will sue the state of Texas if new Republican-backed restrictions on voting become law, after county commissioners voted 3–2 along party lines to pursue legal action Tuesday.
County commissioners empowered the county attorney to bring a lawsuit against the state over House Bill 6, Senate Bill 7, or any other legislation that might restrict voting.
Texas GOP Passes Bill Preventing Teachers from Talking About Racism
Republicans in the Texas House passed a bill Tuesday that effectively bans public school teachers from talking about racism, white supremacy or current news events.
The bill, which is being fast-tracked to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to sign into law, states that social studies and civics teachers aren’t allowed to discuss how race is connected to current events. This is the latest example of efforts to silence teachers in the classroom in order to advance a dangerous political agenda.
Gulf Coast AFL-CIO Calls for Collaborative Process for Spending Houston’s American Rescue Plan Dollars
The $615 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds Houston will receive has the potential to be transformational for Houstonians.
On Tuesday, the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation sent a letter to city council and spoke during this week’s meeting to urge City Council to begin a process to gather input from key stakeholders to ensure the spending will have maximum impact on creating a fairer and more equitable Houston.
Portland Stage Workers Demand their Jobs Back Outside Trailblazer’s Moda Center
With professional sports leagues back in action across the country, many workers laid off during the pandemic are demanding their jobs back, including stagehands in Portland who worked at the Moda Center, home to the Portland Trailblazers.
“Imagine you are an entertainment industry worker and all of your work was shut down in March 2020 due to a pandemic,” said Rose Etta Venetucci, business representative of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or IATSE, Local 28. “You struggled getting your unemployment and got lost in the backlog … Fast forward to May 7th, 2021. Fans are now allowed back in the arena, but still not bringing back their loyal crew?
ACLU Accepts Worker Demands and Recognizes National Staff Union
After a five month fight by workers, ACLU Staff United this week announced that management had agreed to voluntarily recognize the union. This comes after management of some local chapters engaged in anti-union tactics after workers presented supermajorities of signed cards.
Nursing Home Workers in Connecticut Edge Closer to a Strike
After nursing home bosses failed to come to terms with workers, members of SEIU 1199 in Connecticut voted to authorize a strike this week. Aggressive worker actions have helped nursing home workers to gain some of the best pay and benefit packages in the nation.
Despite Union-busting Tactics by Management, Workers at Imperfect Foods Vote to Unionize
Drivers at Imperfect Foods have voted to unionize after weeks of being manipulated and intimidated by union-busting consultants hired by the company’s management. It’s a victory for 80 of the company’s 1,500 total workers — delivery drivers in California and Nevada — 28 of whom voted in favor of being represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) Local 5.
Get Vaccinated!
Everyone age 16 and older, regardless of occupation or health status, is now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in Texas, according to state authorities. You can find the full list of Texas vaccine providers here. You do not need to be a resident of a county or city to register.
Sites in Harris County and across the region no longer required advance registration.
To find more information about vaccination sites, click on the links below (this is not a complete list of all vaccine providers)
- Harris County
- City of Houston
- Galveston County
- Montgomery County
- Fort Bend County
- Waller County
- Brazoria County
- Brazos County
- Chambers County
- Liberty County
- Walker County
- Austin County
- Matagorda County
- Wharton County
Tell Your State Rep. to Say NO To SB 321
State employees keep their promises — so should the State of Texas! Tell your legislators to keep their hands off state employee pensions and say no to SB 321!
