Labor News — 8/4/2022
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.
Houston Janitors Protest for Pay Equity
As gas prices, food prices, and rents are soaring, and inflation has hit a 40-year high, many janitors in Houston are struggling to pay the bills and provide for their families.
Janitors working for Platinum in other cities, like Chicago and Pittsburgh have good, union jobs. Platinum Cleaning janitors in Houston deserve good, union jobs too.
Janitors organizing with SEIU Texas and allies took to the streets this week to call out William (Zev) Hertz, CEO and owner of Hertz Investment Group and Platinum Cleaning. The janitors who clean and maintain Hertz buildings in Houston deserve fair pay, good benefits, and a process for workers to negotiate wages and working conditions.
Sign the petition and stand with Houston Janitors
Trader Joe’s workers vote to form first union amid nationwide organizing wave
Workers at a Massachusetts Trader Joe’s on Thursday voted to become the first of the supermarket chain’s more than 500 locations to unionize, a historic development that comes amid a nationwide labor organizing wave.
Gabrielle, who works at the Hadley store, explained that she was voting for a union because “our crew needs to be represented by an entity that is solely dedicated to our best interests.”
Employees at the Trader Joe’s in Hadley, a suburb of Springfield, voted 45–31 to form a union, according to the National Labor Relations Board.
“WE WON!!! Today, Trader Joe’s Hadley became the first unionized Trader Joe’s location, ever,” the new union, Trader Joe’s United, tweeted. “This victory is historic, but not a surprise. Since the moment we announced our campaign, a majority of the crew have enthusiastically supported our union, and despite the company’s best efforts to bust us, our majority has never wavered.”
Senate approves Ike Dike plan, making full Congressional approval within reach
The Democratic-led U.S. Senate on Thursday approved the plan to build the coastal barrier known as the “Ike Dike” at the mouth of Galveston Bay. The $31-billion dollar project is considered the largest of its kind ever proposed in the nation and is meant to protect the Houston region from hurricane storm surges.
The Ike Dike plan centers on gates that would be built across the mouth of Galveston Bay and lowered ahead of hurricanes to block waves of water from pushing up the Houston Ship Channel and flooding industrial facilities and homes. Supporters urging the project ahead say officials already stalled too long in doing something to protect the vulnerable area.
Harris County Commissioners authorize lawsuit to block election witch hunt by Abbott administration
As more and more advocates of the “Big Lie” win Republican primary elections across the country, threatening the administration of fair and free elections, last week Greg Abbott’s Secretary of State launched a new witch hunt in Harris County.
On Tuesday, Harris County Commissioners announced they were going to fight back.
Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said, “We’ve authorized County Attorney Christian Menefee to take legal action against the latest politically motivated “election audit” on Harris County. Enough is enough. We can’t continue spreading the Big Lie. This is a distraction from the work needed to prepare for the next election.
Experts have consistently shown that the 2020 election was the “most secure in history”, thanks in large part to the hard work of non-partisan administrators like the ones in Harris County. Despite extensive investigations, no evidence of voter fraud was ever encountered in Harris County.
Federal Railroad Administration issues new rule mandating safe staffing levels
Major railroads will be required to maintain two-person crews under a new rule announced Wednesday that will thwart industry efforts to cut crews down to one person.
The Federal Railroad Administration said in a rule published in the Federal Register that railroads will be required to continue using two-person crews in most circumstances as they haul all kinds of cargo, including hazardous materials, across the country. But there will be an exception to allow short-line railroads that have already been using one-man crews to continue using them and railroads can apply for permission to use smaller crews if they can prove it is safe.
Safe staffing has been a top concern for railroad unions, which are currently advocating for change through the Railway Labor Act.
Department of Labor defends hike in contractor minimum wage against Republican Attorneys General, including Ken Paxton
In fall 2021, the Biden Administration implemented a rule requiring a $15 minimum wage for all federal contractors, leading to wage increases for thousands of Texans.
Nearly as soon as the order went into effect, current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued the administration to take away the pay raises. As a reminder, the current minimum wage in Texas is $7.25/hr, which Paxton apparently believes is a fair wage for federal contractors.
Ken Paxton is up for reelection this November again COPE-endorsed civil rights attorney Rochelle Garza.
Thousands of our fellow union members are currently unregistered. This fall, we’re going to do everything we can to change that and make sure all working people have the opportunity to make their voices heard at the ballot box!
The Volunteer Deputy Voter Registrar training will be led by the Harris County Elections Administrator and will last approximately an hour. After completing the course, participants who meet the legal requirements will then be able to register eligible voters in Harris County.
We’ll also have expert organizers on hand from Battleground Texas and the AFL-CIO to walk volunteers through best practices in voter registration.
We encourage all union members in Harris County to join.
