Here is your weekly news from the Texas labor movement.
National GM Strike Continues Into The Weekend. Scabby the Rat Heads to the Picket Front Lines in Arlington, TX.
A top UAW official told striking General Motors workers Thursday afternoon that "some progress has been made" in contract talks, but many issues remained unresolved. Meanwhile, the strike began to cause layoffs among suppliers.
Terry Dittes, vice president of the UAW's GM Department, said in a letter that talks would continue "this weekend and beyond" if no agreement is reached sooner.
Negotiating teams have worked into the evening each day since the strike started at 12:01 a.m. Monday and GM workers across the nation are standing strong on the picket lines.
Brothers and Sisters in Southeast Texas, Stay Safe as Imelda Causes Flooding
The Texas AFL-CIO is closely monitoring Tropical Depression Imelda in Houston, Beaumont and environs and wish all who are at risk of flooding safe passage. As always, we salute the hard work of First Responders, who work long hours in terrible conditions to keep people safe.
The New York Times captured the unfortunate "workday" of a Goodyear worker in Beaumont:
Jody Chesson, 53, who commutes 33 miles to his job at the Goodyear chemical plant in Beaumont, got an early start on Thursday, knowing the heavy rain would slow him down.
"When I left Bridge City about 3:30 in the morning, it wasn't that bad," he said.
Driving a lifted 4-door Jeep Wrangler, he kept his speed to 25 miles an hour, he said, and didn't have too much difficulty with the wet spots on Highway 69. But when he got to Beaumont and took the ramp onto Interstate 10, he got in too deep almost before he knew it.
"It was immediate," he said. "I put my brakes on, but it was at the hood. By the time I stopped, it was over the hood."
"I decided, I'm not going to just stand put," he said. So he left the Jeep and set out for a nearby hotel, the Elegante, walking when he could and swimming when he had to. He said he was glad he had thought to grab his work bag from the Jeep, because it had a flashlight in it, and his phone charger.
The hotel still had power, and others had taken refuge there as well. When water began to flood the lobby, he said, they climbed the stairs to higher floors because the elevator couldn't be used.
Much too late, Mr. Chesson then found out that he could have just stayed home: Goodyear sent out a notice at 7:30 a.m. that it was canceling his shift and closing the plant because of flooding. Stuck at the hotel, he got himself a bag of popcorn, he said; by early afternoon, he had half of it left.
Dallas County Enacts $15 an Hour Minimum for Its Employees
In another large victory for Texas public employees, Dallas County has established a $15 an hour minimum for its employees, the Dallas Morning News reports.
The 4-1 vote came after a multi-year initiative by County Judge Clay Jenkins, the newspaper states. Jenkins had pledged from the start of his original campaign for office to make wages a high priority.
Dallas County joins a growing number of jurisdictions looking to enact living wage policies for their workers.
As the News states, however, state law and other factors limit the reach of what is no doubt a strong policy decision. The fight to deliver a living wage for all working families in Texas goes jointly through the Legislature and Congress:
The increase is mostly symbolic. The majority of the county's employees already make more than $15 an hour. Fewer than 50 employees - mostly clerks and other entry-level administrators - will see the pay bump starting Oct. 1.
The change does not cover contracted employees such as janitors. State law forbids local governments from increasing the minimum wage for private-sector employees. The law is less clear when it comes to government contracts, county officials say. Jenkins pledged to find a way to increase pay for contract employees next.
Texas AFL-CIO Constituency Groups to Hold Town Hall in Houston on Getting Out the Vote and the 2020 U.S. Census
The Texas A. Philip Randolph Institute will host a Town Hall Meeting to discuss Getting Out the Vote in 2020 and the upcoming U.S. Census.
The event takes place 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Hall, 1745 North Loop West, in Houston.
Other Texas AFL-CIO constituency groups participating in the event with APRI include the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU), Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) and Pride at Work.
Scalia 'Resume' Shows Why He Is Unfit to Be Secretary of Labor
The AFL-CIO stepped up opposition to the confirmation of Eugene Scalia as Secretary of Labor by publishing his "résumé." While it is a parody of something you or I would use, it does deal in facts and it isn't pretty.
Texas Public School Retirees Get '13th Check,' But More Needed
Hundreds of thousands of retired public-school employees received a "13thcheck" - effectively a one-time bonus - in their pension payments, marking payment day on a legislative highlight of the session earlier this year.
From Texas AFT's statement:
"While the 13th check is like rain on parched earth for retirees-most of whom haven't seen a pension increase in almost 15 years-it's still just provides temporary relief," said Zeph Capo, Texas American Federation of Teachers president. "Now our school employee members are readying for another big push to get what's really needed and deserved, a permanent cost-of-living increase that needs to be authorized by the Legislature next session."
Do Something: Change Your Facebook Profile Frame to Support Striking GM Workers
A Detroit rapper released a new song in support of UAW workers striking at GM this week. The new video titled, "On Strike," depicts him on the picket line. Check it out!
Enjoy the Weekend! After All..We Fought For It!
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