Dallas County voters agreed to support working people’s candidates in seven of ten of the primary runoff races. Union supporters under the direction of Political Director Lorraine Montemayor knocked on hundreds of doors and made thousands of telephone calls to convince them. The three main targeted candidates: Lupe Valdez, Colin Allred, and Carl Sherman, all won handily. See our web page section on electoral work for an analysis.
Judges Show What’s at Stake
Senate leader Mike McConnell told reporters that his main priority in 2018 is confirming more judges to lifetime appointments. The American judiciary has already assaulted working families in a number of cases. Most recently was this week’s Supreme Court decision upholding employer’s power to force workers to give up our right to join together in legal action to defend our rights on the job.
So-called “mandatory arbitration” has already been imposed on many American workers, and now five of the worst Supreme Court justices have given the go-ahead to remove basic rights from all working people.
Another critical decision is expected soon. Plaintiffs hope to undermine public employees’ ability to finance their unions in the Janus case that is pending. Attacks on the right to organize are attacks on fundamental democracy.
Communications Workers President Chris Shelton said, "Democracy cannot survive without a vibrant labor movement. It is no accident that for the last 40 years, the Koch Brothers, and the so-called ‘Right-to-Work’ Committee, and the Chamber of Commerce, and their puppets, like Scott Walker and Chris Christie and Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch, have been laser-focused on wiping out the labor movement. When workers have no voice on the job, and they have no organized voice in society, only the voice of the corporate elite can be heard."
[caption caption="CWA President Chris Shelton"]
The Dallas AFL-CIO appeals to all working people to stand together and fight. Next priorities will be to re-elect school board trustee Bernadette Nutall and to gather enough petitions to get paid sick time on the November ballot. Then we turn full-force to winning the November elections.
More Actions Coming Up:
May 27: Jane Elkins hanged at the Dallas Courthouse, 1853. See Bill Betzen’s blog: http://billbetzen.blogspot.com/search?q=jane+elkins
May 27, 8:30A-12:30P: Vigil at First Baptist Church in downtown Dallas (rescheduled from previous week due to rainstorms)
May 30, 7:30-10:30A: Environmentalists protest Exxon Mobile Stockholder Meeting at 2301 Flora St, Dallas, 75201 https://www.facebook.com/events/163543267661456/
Jun 12,1-2P: Demand Santander (bank) end “Dealer Markups” at 1601 Elm, Dallas 75201 contact Arnise Porter 817-692-4206 arnisep@att.net
Jun 16, 11A-1P: “Working Families Town Hall” with Texas AFL-CIO at 10045 Audelia Rd, Dallas 75238
Jun 23: 40 Days of Moral Action will culminate in a mass rally in Washington, D+C. Learn more at www.poorpeoplescampaign.org CWA Newsletter
Jul 31: Teamster/UPS contracts expire
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