The coming Labor Day finds the Dallas Central Labor Council strengthening its efforts on all fronts. Labor Day ticket sales, sponsorships, and ads are pouring in. Jason Tomlinson, jtomlinson.dallasaflcio@gmail.com, told the August 17 meeting that he has to have all ads by Monday, August 21 to meet the printer’s deadlines.
As the situation gets hotter for working families, more union locals are uniting with the Dallas federation. Actors and bakers are now added to our ranks. As Young Active Labor Leaders (YALL) activist Travis Cantwell told the Council: “Any local would be silly to not come here and affiliate.”
We are also broadening our outreach to labor’s allies. Civil Rights leader Dominique Alexander and Colin County Democratic Party Chair Sheena King spoke. Rosie Curts spoke about labor at a Stonewall Democrats meeting and will be inviting one of their speakers to reciprocate.
Principal Officer Lou Luckhart shared some of the new national poll statistics with delegates:
- 71% of all Americans approve of unions
- 88% of young Americans (under 30) approve of unions
- 75% support the strikers
None of us in our lifetimes has seen so many challenges and opportunities!
Strengthen Labor and Win
The Dallas Labor Day Breakfast will be our main point of unification. We are implementing new organizing and outreach suggestions from our long process of strategic planning. Our website already has a new calendar and educational resources section, and new sign-up forms will be added soon.
Labor education is flowering. The August 17 meeting recommended Robin Williams of CWA6215 and two TWU members, John Williams and Drew Kennedy, for extended training in the state federation’s Ruth Ellinger school. The deadline for applications is September 8. For info, contact lorraine@texasaflcio.org or call: 214-448-1557.
Our own weekly on-line Labor Workshop will analyze suggestions for innovative networking this Sunday. Emphasis will be on group texting, various texting services, and the new AFL-CIO organizing platform, Action Builder. Register here.
The Speakers’ Bureau is reaching out for opportunities to speak to other organizations, especially churches in national AFL-CIO’s “Labor in the Pulpit” program. If you can speak about labor, even for 5 minutes, in a church, mosque, or synagogue, let me know. Genelantz.dallasaflcio@gmail.com. So far, Judy Bryant, one of our oldest activists, and Rosie Curts, one of our youngest, have taken the lead, but Britni Cuington is closing in.
Strengthening labor is everybody's business and to everybody's benefit!
Please join the Dallas AFL-CIO Solidarity Brigade
More Actions Coming Up
Aug 19, 1P: DFW Chapter Social at the Legal Café, 114 Main in Fort worth. Info from Texas AFT
Aug 19, 2P: Texas Young Active Labor Leaders hold state officer elections online.
Aug 19, 3p: Fashion show and fund raiser at Steelworkers Local 895, 3626 Marvin D Love Fwy. Contact 214-376-6717
Aug 20, 5P: Free on-line Labor Workshop. Register here
Aug 22: National Solidarity Day
Aug 22, 6P: Retired educators virtual meeting. Register
Aug22, 6:30P: CWA and Texas Climate Jobs Project’s "Back to School Town Hall” at 1408 N. Washington Ave. Contact Earnest 214-826-6215
Aug 22: Teamsters complete voting on UPS tentative contract
Aug 22, 6:30P: CWA and Texas Climate Jobs Project’s "Back to School Town Hall” at 1408 N. Washington Ave. Contact Earnest 214-826-6215
Aug 23, 6P: Virtual meeting with AFT leaders “Schools in Crisis: Unpacking the Legislature” Register
Aug 27: Remembrance of Chase Buie at Uptown Theater in downtown Grand Prairie. Contact UAW 848 972-264-2431
Aug 29: 26,000 American Professional Flight Attendants complete voting on a strike authorization
Sep 1: International Day of Trade Unions for Peace
Sep 4: 8:30A: Dallas AFL-CIO Labor Day Breakfast at Longhorn Ballroom, 216 Corinth, 75207. Contact jtomlinson.dallasaflcio@gmail.com
Sep 4, 10A: Tarrant County Central Labor Council — Labor Fest at “The Shack” Panther Island Pavilion, 395 Purcey St in Fort Worth