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Here is your weekly news from the Texas Labor Movement.
COPE Convention Laid Groundwork for Bigger, Bolder, Broader Political Program in 2020
The two-day Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention concluded last Sunday with endorsements in statewide, congressional, and legislative contests.
Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy and Secretary-Treasurer Montserrat Garibay issued this statement:
"The Texas AFL-CIO COPE (Committee on Political Education) Convention culminates two months of conscientious work by local unions across the state who consider candidates' records, platforms and ability to deliver on fair shot issues for working families.
"Under labor's rules, the local bodies closest to legislative candidates get to determine endorsement positions, all of which were adopted. COPE considered local recommendations and made final determinations in statewide and congressional races.
"We want to say something about the U.S. Senate race, in which COPE was unable to arrive at the required two-thirds consensus to issue an endorsement. Six candidates -- Chris Bell, Amanda Edwards, MJ Hegar, Sema Hernandez, Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez and Royce West -- participated in a highly informative debate at our Convention. Delegates listened intently for 90 minutes and the well-deserved loudest applause was for the entire group, each of whom presented an alternative vision for working families in Texas. We see that vision as our state's future, and the ability of several candidates to draw support as a sign of group strength among the candidates.
"Here's what happens next. Labor in Texas, working in coalition with progressive allies, is going to run the biggest, broadest, boldest campaign that Texas has seen in generations. We believe the working families of the Texas AFL-CIO, our allies, our friends and anyone else we can persuade will turn out in large numbers to continue what we started in 2018 and change Texas for the better. If we change Texas, we will change the United States, and if we change the United States, we will change the world."
Here's what the Texas media had to say about our convention:
Media Take Note of CD 28 Endorsement of Jessica Cisneros, and a Tweet Catches Fire
Newspapers, magazines and TV stations covered the COPE Convention, with many remarking on the endorsement of Jessica Cisneros in Congressional District 28.
The attention was multiplied by a tweet from U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that includes a 40-second video made by Cisneros and Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy after final approval of the COPE Report.
See the tweet and video:
Airport Workers in Houston Demand Higher Wages
Airlines, like United, have not raised wages to $11.22 -the minimum wage set last year in an executive order from the Mayor of Houston. Some folks are still paid just $2.13/hour and rely on tips. This week, airport workers went to Houston City Hall calling out United airlines for failure to raise wages.
Resolutions Range Across Spectrum and Include a 'Future of Work' Piece
Resolutions from the convention included the topics of aircraft maintenance, voter registration, property sales price disclosure, opposition to a state takeover of the Houston Independent School District, campaign finance, women's health care, sexual harassment, equal pay, support for the PRO Act, opposition to white supremacy, complete count in the U.S. Census, immigration and the future of work.
Two Join Texas AFL-CIO Staff as Fellows
The Texas AFL-CIO welcomes two "Fellows" who will work with us in the coming months to build power for working families.
Ben Nakhaima is working with us in collaboration with the Blue Leadership Collaborative, which trains talented Texans to be campaign managers in the 2020 cycle and beyond. He is doing the program's hands-on work in our Get Out the Vote program for the primary and runoff elections while also taking classes with the Collaborative.
Rimsha Syed is working with us as an Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) Fellow. APALA, of course, is a constituency group of the AFL-CIO and the purpose of the fellowship is "to help our chapters build out local worker and civic engagement campaigns." The work she plans to do in our office includes development of organizing leaders for APALA, assistance in promoting the U.S. Census, work with the Texas AFL-CIO Citizenship Drive and APALA-related Get Out the Vote work.
Both of these outstanding activists are off to an excellent start. The state labor federation is excited and grateful to be able to work with the programs that have made them available and we know working families are going to benefit from the work they are doing.
Birabil Wins in Dallas; Markowitz Falls Short in Fort Bend
Congratulations to Lorraine Birabil, the COPE-backed State Rep.-elect in Texas House District 100.
By a 2-1 margin, Birabil won a special election runoff in the Dallas district and will serve the remainder of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson's term. She is also running with the COPE endorsement in the March 3 primary for nomination to the Nov. 3 ballot in a district dominated by Democrats. Winning that contest would place her in the Texas House at the start of the next legislative session with a seniority edge over representatives elected for the first time in November.
COPE-backed Democratic candidate Dr. Eliz Markowitz fell by a 58-42 percent margin to Republican businessman Gary Gates in a special election runoff in Texas House District 28 in Fort Bend County. Markowitz will get another chance at the seat on Nov. 3 in what will certainly be a much higher turnout.
Learn Something New: The Basics: 'Union Bugs' in Politics
What is a union bug?
A union bug is a distinctive label, mark or emblem that tells us union-represented working people have manufactured a quality product. Printers have used them at least since 1891.
The idea of a union label, to signify that the items produced were truly from exclusively union laborers, seems to have originated with the Carpenter’s Eight-Hour League in San Francisco. This league started using a stamp to signify products that were produced by men working on an eight hour day as opposed to a ten hour day by other, non-unionized, workers. This was an easy way to signify which products were being made with quality, while still upholding good working conditions and pay for the laborers.
The union label became the standard by judging how, and how fairly, a product was made. Some shops might claim to have union standards, but unless their products bear the union bug, they are not truly certified as 100% union made. The union bug signifies quality and good workmanship and is a sign that the product you are buying is from a company you can trust. It is a prestigious badge put on products to not only show their union roots, but hopefully to attract more members to unions.
Click to learn more.
Register Now: Texas AFL-CIO Census Ambassador Training
Winning in 2020 means all of us standing together, block walking together - as ONE.
Cool song fact: This song was written for the musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, "Carousel" (1945). Also, the song is the anthem of Liverpool F.C. and is sung at association football clubs around the world, where it is performed by a chorus of supporters before each game.
When you walk through a storm hold your head up high
And don't be afraid of the dark.
At the end of a storm is a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark.
Walk on through the wind,
Walk on through the rain,
Tho' your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart
And you'll never walk alone,
You'll never, ever walk alone.
Enjoy the Weekend...After All, We Fought For It!
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