Here is your weekly news from the Texas labor movement.
Levy, Garibay Cite First Labor Right: 'Get to Go Home at the End of a Shift'
The top officers of the Texas AFL-CIO traveled to the locales of recent mass shootings in Texas on a solemn Labor Day weekend.
Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy, in El Paso, addressed the hate attack that took place a month ago today. He thanked a great Central Labor Council for its strong work on union programs and for its support of the communities that were attacked. At an emotional Permian Basin Central Labor Union picnic, Secretary-Treasurer Montserrat Garibay paid respects to the victims of Saturday's shooting near Odessa and toured some of the locations of the murder spree that began with the shooting death of National Association of Letter Carriers member Mary Granados. - Read the Statement
The first labor right of Letter Carriers and all working people is to get to go home at the end of a shift. Letter Carriers take risks because they serve as caretakers of the neighborhoods where they deliver. If something is off - someone not picking up mail, something out of place, a crime in progress - Letter Carriers are the eyes and ears of a community and sometimes the sounders of alarms. Granados's death in service to the U.S. Postal Service mission is despicable. It is just as despicable that law officers on the front lines of public safety and other working people and family members just looking to live their normal lives on Labor Day weekend fell victim - again - to violence. We grieve for all of yesterday's dead and wish those injured full recoveries. We especially offer our condolences to the Granados family, her fiancé and Union Brothers and Sisters in the National Association of Letter Carriers.
Let us know: How will YOU use your TRS 13th check to make ends meet?
If you have a TRS pension, in a couple weeks you should be receiving a supplemental payment – or "13th check." This 13th check will offer you up to $2,000 on top of your typical pension annuity.
We know that for most retired school professionals, this 13th check is an essential amount of money that will help you take care of crucial needs. Texas AFL-CIO and the Texas Pension Coalition want to learn what you can finally take care of because of your 13th check. This is why we're asking you to complete this brief 13th check survey. (CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE SURVEY.)
The survey takes about 5 minutes to complete. Your answers will make a huge difference in how coalition members, including Texas AFL-CIO, can continue fighting for public employee retirement security.
Thanks so much for your help in the fight to protect and improve pensions!
$94K Win for Machinists at Sheppard Air Force Base - Wichita Falls, TX
Our Brothers and Sisters in the International Association of Machinists relay an account of the union's successful defense of the right of union activists to advocate aggressively for members in contract talks.
The episode took place at Solution One Industries, a contractor at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls. IAM persuaded an arbitrator that two union members singled out and dismissed for demanding better working conditions should be returned to their jobs with back pay and other benefits.
Special hat tip to IAM members Guadalupe Anguano and Zacary Allan, who suffered through an ordeal that ultimately made the union stronger. - Read the full article
Young People Are Driving a New Labor Movement
Young people, women, and minorities lead the country in their support for organized labor, according to Gallup. Sixty seven percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 34 support unions, the highest of any demographic group.
The strike wave and high union approval are part of a larger trend that we’re seeing now that is being driven by young people, especially young women and people of color. Young people are redefining the movement itself. A lot of workers are prohibited from forming unions. They’re temps, independent contractors, low level supervisors. They work for franchises.
Successful unions drives and strikes can be contagious, labor experts say; they build momentum and inspire other workers to take action. In other words, enthusiasm for unions in 2019 has a lot to do with successful strikes and union drives in 2018.- Read the full article from Vice News
Retired State Workers Haven't Seen Pension Bump in 17 Years
Over 50 state legislators have officially requested that the ten members of the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) provide an emergency pay raise for state workers and increase funding to shore up the state employees pension fund.
When the 86th Texas Legislature came to a close in May, budget writers failed to address the record-setting employee turnover levels currently crippling state agencies across Texas. The number one reason employees quit the state, according to exit surveys, is low pay. Thousands of state workers qualify for Food Stamps (SNAP) and most state workers haven’t seen a pay raise in 5 years.
In a year when Texas teachers received a well-deserved raise and lawmakers saw their own pay get a $4,300 bump, there is no excuse for inaction on the crisis facing Texas state workers and retirees.
State employee pensions are in bad shape as well. The state’s pension has been underfunded since 2001, meaning retired state workers haven’t seen a pension increase in nearly two decades.
Today at Noon, September 6th, Texas State Employees Union members across Texas, community allies, and over 50 state legislators will be bringing public attention to these needs, and calling on other elected leaders to take immediate action to address these concerns!
Song of the Week - 'Hard Times' - Baby Huey and the Babysitters
The month of October 1970 was a difficult one for rock fans. On the 4th of that month Janis Joplin was found dead at the Landmark Motor Hotel in Hollywood. Only a few weeks earlier Jimi Hendrix found similar fate at the Samarkand Hotel in London. Both were 27 at the time they died. Hotel rooms had a bad spell, for the 28th of the month brought another tragedy, this time in the Roberts motel in Chicago. After the deaths of two legendary stars, this last event went almost unnoticed. The casualty was a 26 year old, sad-faced, soul singer who ever lived. His name was James Ramey, known also as Baby Huey.
In 1969 his band got an audition for Curtis Mayfield’s label Curtom and started recording studio material with Mayfield acting as producer. Three of the songs were interpretations to Curtis Mayfield songs, including the highlight of the record, Hard Times. That song became a cult for multiple hip hop and rap artists who sampled different pieces of it in their songs. Unfortunately Baby Huey died while working on the album, and we only have about 30 minutes of the music he was able to complete.
Baby Huey's lone album has become a sought-after collectible for soul fanatics.
Have a great weekend! After all, we fought for it.
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