Section 44
The Democrats try again. Everyone has the story by now: Trump cleared in Texas by almost six points, Biden found new strength in the suburbs outside Austin and Houston, particularly in Fort Bend, Williamson and Hays County, but hemorrhaged votes all along the borderlands. Biden marched away with the cities: Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, […]
The presidential race is actually quite tight in Texas, and this is very important. Biden is solidly in the margin of error, sometimes trailing Trump, sometimes ahead. The Texas Democratic Party is doubling down with probably their largest voter registration effort ever. The outrageous and grim possibility of another anti-choice bigot and apologist for fascism on the […]
In an interview for Section 44, Snehal Shingavi spoke with Ken Zarifis, the President of Education Austin (a merged union local of both NEA and AFT), and Luke Amphlett, the Consultation Chair and Executive Committee member of the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel. Ken is a long-time activist in Texas and has been […]
Is the BLM Summer going to continue through the election cycle? This is the question one way or another on the minds of millions. A new Pew Research Center survey seems to point to declining support for BLM, which despite holding on to a majority, is down 12% since June. On the minds of thousands – […]
With live productions no longer safe during the pandemic, workers both in and behind the scenes of the entertainment industry are struggling. In Houston, theater unions have reported massive layoffs, approaching 100% unemployment among their memberships, with as many unmet needs in utilities, rent amnesty and social provision. Long-term problems also exist for the financial […]
As part of a continuing series of interviews with frontline workers in Texas, S.U. spoke with two anonymous Kroger workers and members of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union, working in different stores across Dallas. Since the onset of the pandemic, organizing in this sector, Anthony Elmo of UFCW Local 1000 told Section […]
On February 20, 2020, GE announced the intent to close this shop with the employees that keep our national electric grid running. Local IUE-CWA members are demanding GE use this facility and its highly-skilled workers to manufacture ventilators, and are calling for increased safety measures to protect them at this time. The plant has won […]
Section 44 reprints and encourages readers to share and contribute towards the following local fundraiser for the family of a fallen worker at the El Paso Psychiatric Center. To donate and share, please follow the link here. You can read more about the Crisis at the El Paso Psychiatric Center here. “Today April 14, 2020 […]
On April 14, 2020, an employee at the El Paso Psychiatric Center (EPPC) died from COVID-19. That came on the heels of several other patients and employees at the center testing positive for the virus. State-wide, more than 108 employees at state-supported living centers and state hospitals have tested positive. The El Paso Psychiatric Center, […]
This is a 4-week reading and discussion group designed for organizers and union members to establish an understanding of the history of labor struggles in Texas. In our current social and political climate of “business friendly” Texas, working class people are disconnected from this forgotten/erased tradition of workers’ organizing to improve conditions. The goal is […]
