Neither rain nor anything else is holding back labor’s efforts to win the current local elections. Starting at 10AM on May 4th, Political Director Lorraine Montemayor will be directing personal contact and telephone work from 1408 N Washington.
The other side, big-money candidates that couldn’t win labor’s endorsement, have come up with every scheme possible to stop us. The Dallas newspaper, always solidly anti-worker, endorsed three big-money mayoral candidates in their effort to disperse support for ours, Scott Griggs!
Labor’s work is paying off. Analysis of the early vote shows a big increase over the last year when the mayor’s race was run. When working families vote, we win! Please join us for another day of hard election work. At 7PM, when the polls close, we’ll be celebrating with the working families’ candidates!
Alliance/AFT Analyzes Labor’s Victories
The school employees’ union, Alliance/AFT, hosted author Eric Blanc on April 30. He was promoting his new book:
- Blanc, Eric, ‘Red State Revolt. The Teachers’ Strikes and Working-Class Politics.” Verso, London, 2019
A longer report is available on line. but two of the main lessons are especially worth repeating. One is about women and the other is about everybody.
Blanc compared the school employees’ dramatic victories with other major labor victories. Teachers and nurses led the most successful efforts, and both were led by women. “Really, these strikes were led by women,” Blanc said. Women aren’t just winning elections today, they are also leading strikes!
The main lesson to be drawn from the successful strike wave is the high degree of unity showed between different job groups, different ethnicities, and different communities. The same might be said of the recent big victory that United Food and Commercial Workers achieved in their recent grocery strike. They started by bringing their allies together. Good communication is key.
Develop Labor’s Outreach
As head of digital organizing for Dallas AFL-CIO, I often brag that we look good when compared to other Texas Central Labor Councils, but I try not to omit the obvious fact that we could do much better. When Southwest Director Artie Blanco was here, she offered help, and we’re going to get it.
Southwest Communications Director Emmelle Israel is planning a trip to Dallas at the end of May. She plans to spend one day correcting my skills and the next day disseminating information to a select group of labor communicators. It’s exactly what we need!
More Actions Coming Up
May 3: Labor singer Pete Seeger's 100th birthday
May 4: Election Day
May 4, 10A-1P: Get-Out-The-Vote work of all kinds from 1408 N Washington. Contact Lorraine Montemayor and pitch in!
May 4, 7:30A: Registration for “USA’s l8th Annual Dallas/Ft Worth Sporting Clays Shoot” at Elm Fork Shooting Sports, 10751 Luna Road, Dallas 75220. Contact Chris Piltz at 203-767-0745 or chris@unionsportsmen.org
