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Austin American-Statesman Union Seeks to ‘Safeguard Our Future as a Vital News Provider’ |
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Journalists at the Austin American-Statesman and six community newspapers announced the formation of the Austin NewsGuild and will seek management recognition of their decision to speak up together to improve working conditions.
The announcement is the latest shoe to drop in a historic string of organizing activities at Texas newspapers. Staffers at the Dallas Morning News and Fort Worth Star-Telegram unionized earlier this year — the Dallas Morning News via an overwhelming victory in a representation election and the Star-Telegram via management recognition of the union.
The NewsGuild, a unit of NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America, “will work to create stability for the papers’ journalists and strengthen the coverage they provide for readers in an increasingly unstable industry, one plagued by budget cuts, layoffs, a lack of diversity and dwindling resources.”
The union said it had obtained sign-up cards from the majority of reporters, photographers, columnists and other employees of the Gannett-owned newspaper.
As with newspaper employees in Dallas and Fort Worth, the American-Statesman employees said a major factor in their decision was their desire for “a seat at the table” when the future of the newspaper comes under discussion.
Despite long-standing challenges in the newspaper industry as a whole and long-term cuts in staffing, the talented people who produce the American-Statesman have provided exceptionally strong local and state coverage in the best traditions of journalism. The Guild notes corporate leadership of the paper has changed three times in three years.
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Sign the Petition: Paxton - Texans Have Had Enough! |
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The Texas lawsuit filed by indicted Ken Paxton to overturn the 2020 election is the most outlandish effort yet to steal over 7 million votes.
Just as bad, the lawsuit is a complete waste of taxpayer resources at a time when our leadership should devote every waking moment to combatting a pandemic that has killed nearly 300,000 Americans, nearly 24,000 of whom are Texans.
Sign our petition today.
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Capo: Decision to Drop A-F Grades for Public Schools This School Year Doesn’t Go Far Enough |
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The Texas Education Agency announced today it will waive this school year’s A-F school and district ratings that are ordinarily based on the STAAR Test, but the test will still be administered, Quorum Report reports.
That didn’t sit well with Texas American Federation of Teachers President Zeph Capo, and he has a point:
While it's good news that TEA has made the only reasonable decision and paused A-F school ratings this year, it makes no sense to continue with STAAR testing. Our educators and students have lost enough instructional time over the course of this pandemic, why waste more of it prepping for a test that was never designed as a diagnostic tool?
Some lawmakers are in agreement, having called for a suspension of STAAR testing altogether. As the Dallas Morning News reports, there’s an apparent hole in the plan to continue testing:
School systems must make the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR, exams available to every eligible student. The tests will be administered on school campuses or at secure alternative testing sites, according to a TEA press release. Remote learners won’t be required to take the test.
That’s a lit neon arrow for students who don’t want to endure a battery of tests that plays an outsized role in public schools. The upcoming session of the Texas Legislature will have a chance to sort through the ramifications of the pandemic on learning.
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Austin City Councilman Gets National Co-Chair Spot in Progressive Local Government Group |
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Congratulations to our friend Greg Casar, a dynamic, progressive Austin City Council member who has fought for working families, on his selection as co-chair of Local Progress, an organization that advocates for “transformative change” in local government.
Casar, who worked at the Workers Defense Project before winning election in Council District 4, will share leadership of the organization with Philadelphia City Council member-at-large Helen Gym.
Their statement:
“We are thrilled and honored to be serving at the helm of this powerful network of local elected officials. This year has reminded us how important it is to exercise the most courageous leadership possible. As we prepare to step forward together into a new year with the same challenges, we know that our cities and municipalities must continue to be the epicenter of progressive change in this country. By working together, we can drive transformative change across all levels of local government, build power with our communities, and impact policy and governance at the state and national level. Together, we are redefining what is possible. This is what Local Progress is all about.” |
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Song of the Week - "REMOVE 45" by - De La Soul · Styles P · Talib Kweli · Pharoah Monch · Mysonne · Chuck D · Posdnuos
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Stay safe. Have a good weekend...after all, we fought for it. |
