Here is your weekly news from the Texas Labor Movement.
Steelworkers: Little Progress in ASARCO Strike, Nearly Six Weeks In. Please Make a Donation to Support Workers on the Picket Line.
The Asarco strike is in its sixth week and the United Steelworkers union reports little progress made in the most recent contract talks, the Arizona Daily Star reports.
The company operates several mines in Arizona and a copper refinery in Amarillo, where striking workers have braved a dose of winter in the course of the walkout.
A new round of contract talks between Tucson-based copper producer Asarco LLC and striking unions representing more than 2,000 Asarco workers in Arizona and Texas yielded no progress, the United Steelworkers said.
A union negotiating committee met with Asarco representatives as scheduled on Thursday "and as expected, the company has not changed its previously rejected demands for major economic and non-economic concessions," the Steelworkers said in a message to members.
Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy issued this statement on President Trump’s visit to Austin
“President Trump comes to Texas today to try to claim credit for a corporate business decision that will bring jobs to Texas. But the reality is, the President’s record has harmed workers in Texas and no made-for-TV photo ops can cover up the fact.”
“Our members at today’s roundtable can speak directly to White House policies that force everyday workers to struggle while the richest Americans own an ever-growing majority of our nation’s wealth.”
“Trump policies have enabled companies to reap mammoth tax breaks only to turn to mass layoffs; have kept wages for millions of Americans well inside the poverty level; have elevated private school vouchers and unaccountable charter schools above neighborhood public schools; have undermined registered apprenticeship programs that carve a path to the middle class; have resulted in cruel immigration policies while our immigration system remains in desperate need of reform; and have directly attacked the ability of employees – most directly, federal employees – to speak up together for better working conditions.”
“The officeholders you see here today are joining workers because they understand that the American Dream has been warped and is becoming unrecognizable. But all of us also understand that our opportunity and our responsibility in 2020 have never been clearer, and that as we change Texas, we will change the country. Together.”
Houston Federation of Teachers Files Federal Lawsuit Over Proposed State Takeover of School District
The Houston Federation of Teachers filed a federal lawsuit in Austin today, stating the proposed state takeover of the Houston Independent School District is unconstitutional under U.S. and Texas law because it disenfranchises and discriminates against people based on race and national origin.
Gov. Greg Abbott and Education Commissioner Mike Morath claim the state takeover of the entire Houston school district, which earned an 88 (out of 100) academic accountability rating, was triggered due to one chronically failing school, Wheatley High School, which is attended by predominantly black and brown students. The takeover decision was made just days after voters elected new school board members in Houston, who would not be able to take their seats under the takeover, effectively silencing the democratic electoral process.
“The state’s action to take over the HISD is flagrantly unconstitutional and has nothing to do with giving kids a strong public education,” said Zeph Capo, president of HFT and Texas AFT. “Gov. Abbott and Education Commissioner Mike Morath will do just about anything to give private charter operators a chance to get their hands on our schools—even violate the state and U.S. constitutions. We can’t allow our government officials to unconstitutionally marginalize black and brown children, deny them their right to a quality public education, or defy the voice of voters who have just elected new school board members,” he said.
The suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in Austin. - Read More
Texas AFL-CIO Brings Together Union Leaders Across the State for Census 2020 Training
The Texas AFL-CIO established a "Complete Count Committee" and brought in the first wave of 2020 Census Ambassadors this week. Census Ambassadors will play a critical role in making sure all community members understand what the census is, why it's important, and how they can participate.
Ambassadors will serve as volunteer leaders in making sure their communities are counted, complementing the work of Community Action Teams across the county.
Viral Post of the Week - The Minimum Wage Has Been Set at $7.25 Since 2009
Since everyone on Facebook is playing the game of sharing a profile picture from 2009 compared to 2019, we decided to play too.
Union Plans Protests At DFW, LAX, JFK And Others As Thanksgiving Travel Ramps Up
Airline trade group Airlines For America said Tuesday that Thanksgiving holiday air travel will be the heaviest ever this year, with about 3 million passengers on each of the five heaviest days between Tuesday Nov. 26 and Sunday Dec. 1.
On Tuesday, a lot of the projected 2.8 million passengers are going to see airport labor demonstrations.
Unite Here, which represents airline catering workers, plans demonstrations at 17 airports including Charlotte, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas, Newark, JFK and Washington National.
The union expects the number of demonstrators at each airport to range from about 200 to as many as 1,000 at JFK.
The demonstrations represent the union’s latest effort to secure improvements in pay, health care and working conditions for airport caterers, who prepare the food for onboard service.
Unite Here president D. Taylor said the union has no intent to disrupt holiday travel, but it wants to call attention to the workers’ plight.
"Salt of the Earth" is the final song from the 1968 Rolling Stones album Beggars Banquet.
The lyrics were written primarily by Jagger and salute the working class:
Say a prayer for the common foot soldier
Spare a thought for his back breaking work
Say a prayer for his wife and his children
Who burn the fires and who still till the earth
Noteworthy within the lyrics is the salute to the salt of the earth but no action to change or improve the circumstances of working people is implied or suggested.
Have a Great Weekend! After All...We Fought For It!
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