Labor News — 2/24/2023
Labor News is delivered to inboxes every week with news and updates relevant to the Gulf Coast labor movement. To subscribe, click here.
Harris County passes historic $9.1 million investment in union apprenticeship programs
Harris County Commissioners voted today to approve a $9.1 million contract that will double enrollment in local union apprenticeships in the building and construction trades, as well as creating two new apprenticeships in the entertainment and transportation industries.
“Building a better, more resilient labor force — by investing in our workers — is an essential investment in the future of Harris County,” said Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. “Apprenticeship programs provide an avenue to high wage careers without the need for a traditional four year college degree.”
This investment by Harris County, funded by President Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act, represents one of the largest investments in union apprenticeship training programs in the country, and by far the largest by any county in Texas.
Hany Khalil, Executive Director of the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation said, “High quality apprenticeships like those run by unions are a proven path to prosperity: Apprentices “earn while they learn,” earning wages above industry average while developing essential knowledge both in the classroom and on jobsites — without having to pay a dime, unlike college — while preparing the highly skilled, highly productive workforce on which our shared prosperity depends.”
Applications for the ARP/MC3 apprenticeship readiness program are open now. All other programs will open admissions over the summer. Interested Harris County residents can learn more by visiting gcaflcio.org.
Following a vote of union delegates, Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation President Lacy Wolf and Secretary Treasurer Andy Dewey were re-elected by acclamation to their third consecutive terms leading Texas’ largest labor federation.
Under President Wolf, who is also the Business Manager for Insulators Union Local 22, the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation has grown to represent 60,000 members from 95 unions across 13 Houston-area counties and has accomplished a long list of successes:
- Launched the Texas Gulf Coast AFL-CIO Working People PAC and successfully defended and expanded pro-labor majorities at Harris and Fort Bend Counties
- Won new pro-worker policies at the local level, including a Fair Chance Hiring Policy and a contractor health and safety policy at Harris County and a new policy fighting wage theft in Fort Bend County
- Won a $9.1 million contract from Harris County to expand union apprenticeships in the building trades and register two new programs in public transportation and live entertainment with the DOL
- Launched the Keep Harris Housed campaign, led by local union affiliates, which knocked over 40,000 doors to inform tenants about emergency protections and helped over 7,000 local renters apply for rental assistance and legal aid at 21 events in Harris County and Fort Bend County.
- Revamped social media presence, launching new Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Medium, and Tiktok accounts and starting a weekly newsletter
- Expanded training offering for union members, including stewards trainings and the newly created Labor Candidate School
Houston Starbucks workers win third union vote
From Houston Public Media:
Another group of Houston-area Starbucks employees voted to unionize last week, adding to a labor movement that has grown across the region, the state and the country.
Workers at the Starbucks location at 6400 Fannin St. in the Texas Medical Center voted 8–2 last Thursday to form a union, according to a tweet by the Houston chapter of Starbucks Workers United, which said there is “more to come.” The Montrose-area Starbucks at 2801 S. Shepherd Dr. became the first in Houston to unionize last September, followed by the store at 30130 Rock Creek Dr. in Kingwood.
“It’s not going to end. These folks are on a roll,” said Linda Morales, the organizing coordinator for the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation. “We’re going to be there to support every (unionizing) effort in every way we can. Starbucks needs to come to the table and quit messing around.”
Labor Department Cracks Down on Child Labor
Via Jordan Barab’s Confined Spaces Blog:
Child labor violations have risen sharply over the past several years. The Department of Labor has seen a 50% increase in child labor violations since 2018, but it’s unclear if that rise is because more companies are employing children or because there have been more investigations of these companies. DOL data shows that it found 3,876 minors employed in violation of the law in 2022, a 68% increase from 2018. But that number still pales in comparison to 2002, when it found 9,690 children employed illegally.
Recently, the Department of Labor cracked down on one of the most egregious violations found at Packers Sanitation Services Inc. (PSSI). The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found that PSSI had employed at least 102 children — from 13 to 17 years of age — in hazardous occupations and had them working overnight shifts at 13 meat processing facilities in eight states. As a result, PSSI has paid $1.5 million in civil money penalties. The children were working with hazardous chemicals and cleaning meat processing equipment including back saws, brisket saws and head splitters. At least three minors suffered injuries while working for PSSI, one of the country’s largest food safety sanitation service providers.
“The child labor violations in this case were systemic and reached across eight states, and clearly indicate a corporate-wide failure by Packers Sanitation Services at all levels,” explained Principal Deputy Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division Jessica Looman. “These children should never have been employed in meat packing plants and this can only happen when employers do not take responsibility to prevent child labor violations from occurring in the first place.”
The Texas AFL-CIO’s Fair Shot Agenda advocates for new laws that lift up and improve the lives of Texas workers and their families. During the 88th Legislative Session, we will fight to demand our elected representatives stand up and fight for policies that deliver change for our communities.
Take the pledge!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
