Labor Day Celebrations Were
Upbeat!
Union people celebrated Labor Day on September 1. Speakers
blasted anti-labor politicians and crowds yelled their determination to win
future battles for working people. Around the state, at least 14 major cities
held some kind of celebration. The Dallas AFL-CIO held a Labor Day breakfast,
and the Democratic Party held their own indoor picnic in Fair Park that
afternoon.
Two major concerns dominated all Texas Labor Day meetings: the
redistricting fight and Proposition 12 on the September 13 ballot. Both
problems stem from right-wing efforts to grab more power for themselves while
diminishing our rights. The eleven Texas Senators, who were the heroes of all
the Labor Day events, spent their holiday in nearby New Mexico. If they
returned to their home state, they would likely be forcibly retained and forced
to attend the next special legislative session so that a quorum could be established
and a new voter redistricting bill could be passed by the Republican majority.
Labor Day speakers cautioned their listeners that the eyes of
the world are on them as they stand up and fight the right-wing assault. Congressman Martin Frost was the keynote
speaker for the Dallas AFL-CIO. He said that Governor Perry was “too busy
currying favor with [Congressman] Tom DeLay” to solve the state’s school
financing problems. Frost said that the Governor was planning to spend up to
$20 million in order to get his redistricting plans in effect.
But the maneuvers of anti-labor office holders in Texas are
costing them in popularity. Frost said, "You will notice that the
governor's numbers have started to go down, down, down!" He said that his
party’s candidates look good on issues like education, the national deficit,
the price of gasoline, interest rates, and the "jobless recovery"
underway.
Republicans will have problems in the next elections, Frost
said, because of increasing profits while people lose jobs. He said that the
only thing the Bush Administration did well was “tax cuts for the wealthy.”
Congressman Frost said that congresspersons from other states
tell him, "Thank God for Texas. Thank God, that somewhere in this country,
Democrats are ready to fight!"
The new President of the Texas AFL-CIO, Emmett Sheppard was also
on hand to speak. He began by describing the Texas Legislature, "It was
not a pleasant regular session." He said that children lost health
insurance. He predicted that people in nursing homes will be put into the
streets. Texas will eventually raise taxes to solve the school finance problem,
but not 
until the March primaries. After that time, Sheppard opined that Texas
will get the highest sales tax in the nation, and that the present exemptions
for food and other purchases will be taken away. "They are, again, trying
to take away your rights,” Sheppard said.
He also explained the ongoing campaign over constitutional
amendments. He said that the only committee member to vote against the
legislature’s "tort reform" bill was Dallas' Yvonne Davis. It passed
committee 8-1. If Proposition 12 passes on September 13, Texans will give up
their right to recover damages in court just as they lost their right to
recover damages from workplace accidents in 1987. He said, "You have lost
your rights in the comp system already, and you are about to lose your rights
in the courthouse." The Labor Day crowd indicated that they would not lose
anything without a fight!
Dianne White, Reecie Giesecke, and Michele Crutcher were among
those celebrating Labor Day at the Dallas AFL-CIO breakfast