Category Archives: Viva La Union

CWA, Good Jobs Great Houston Protest Verizon

Posted on March 23, 2012 | Comments Off

That’s right. Yesterday was a day of action for the Communications Workers of America Local 6222 and associated activists as dozens ascended on the Verizon Store located at San Felipe and Post Oak in the Uptown area.

Recently, Verizon announced that it would be shuttering call centers, thus, forcing upwards of 3,000 out of jobs in three states, including Texas. CWA, Good Jobs Great Houston, among others, responded with this action in a matter of days. Although Verizon blames the shuttering on “automation,” those associated with the action wanted to send a broader message to other companies thinking of doing similar things, or worse, outsourcing similar jobs.

In fact, that’s where HB 3596 comes in. HB 3596 is the US Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act, which would force outsourcing companies to disclose the whereabouts of their call center agents, make the ineligible for government grants, among other things. The bill has 45 or so sponsors, including Congressman Elijah Cummings (D) Maryland. CWA and associates were calling for support for HB 3596, too.

I saw various Unions represented at the action, and even Richard Shaw was there reppin’ the AFL-CIO. It was great to see one Teamster from San Diego, CA, too.  And at least one campaign for Congress was out there, too. There’s no doubt that more candidates need to be there or represented at these actions if we are to move bills like HB 3596 forward.

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Posted in LatinoVote '12, President 2012, TDP Convention 2012, Texas Dems 2012, Viva La Union

The Campaign Against Wage Theft in Houston

Posted on December 5, 2011 | Comments Off

There’s a story in today’s Chron about several workers walking out of Ruggles in Montrose for what is described as lack of pay. Specifically, it is about workers who work for tips getting shortchanged. The owner of Ruggles says he’s working on it, but is also embroiled in other legal issues. Still, legal issues aren’t much of an excuse to not pay some folks.

Again, this is just one example of an ongoing crisis called wage theft. Here in Houston, there is now a movement asking Mayor Annise Parker and Houston City Council to take a stand against the practice:

It is time to take action now considering that: Wage theft disproportionately impacts those who already live in poverty ; Workers who aren’t paid are forced to fall back on public safety nets and government assistance in order to keep their families economically afloat; Wage theft is unfair competition since employers paying prevailing wages cannot successfully compete with businesses that reduce their costs by committing wage theft. We believe that you can take action to level the playing field for responsible businesses and bring economic justice to thousands of hard-working Houstonians. We urge you to work together to make Houston a Zero Tolerance city for wage theft.

While the Mayor and other politicians present a positive picture for corporations and small business, I think it would be a good idea to combine that with a pro-worker environment by taking a stand against wage theft.

The campaign is a coalition of organizations which represents the interests of ordinary folks–people who work for a living, provide for their families, and keep the economy running. Unfortunately, it is this very group of people that is easily targeted for wage theft by those companies who are more interested in profit than a good product.

The Coalition is asking the Mayor and City Council to draft a Wage Theft Ordinance that “expedites the process to resolve wage theft claims, includes a viable enforcement mechanism, and aims to prevent future wage theft cases.” And through a strong process, a message is sent that Houston will not tolerate such practices.

If you are part of an organization that represents community interests, become a part of the coalition. If you’re a concerned member of the community, sign the petition and even give a little.

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Posted in Chicano Politics, City of Houston, Consumer Affairs, Criminal Justice, DC Ojo, Houston Politica, HoustonVotes '11, Mayor Parker, Oportunidades, Para La Gente, Viva La Union, Your Wallet

Occupy Wall Street by Lalo Alcaraz

Posted on October 13, 2011 | Comments Off

Nationally syndicated cartoonist and activist Lalo Alcaraz just posted his latest creation. He sure is a wizard with the symbolism, huh? Please share.

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Posted in Consumer Affairs, Cultura Chicana, DC Chicanos, Viva La Union, Your Wallet

Theatrical Trailer: The Harvest/La Cosecha

Posted on October 10, 2011 | Comments Off

The Harvest is a film about the children who work in agricultural fields here in America. With Texan Eva Longoria as executive producer, this film is sure to be heart-wrenching for those of us who experienced migrant farm work growing up, and a reality-check for those who have avoided the reality of knowing from where exactly the food on their table comes.

Every year there are more than 400,000 American children who are torn away from their friends, schools and homes to pick the food we all eat.  Zulema, Perla and Victor labor as migrant farm workers, sacrificing their own childhoods to help their families survive.  THE HARVEST/LA COSECHA profiles these three as they journey from the scorching heat of Texas’ onion fields to the winter snows of the Michigan apple orchards and back south to the humidity of Florida’s tomato fields to follow the harvest.

From the Producers of the Academy-Award® Nominated film, WAR/DANCE and Executive Producer Eva Longoria, this award-winning documentary provides an intimate glimpse into the lives of these children who struggle to dream while working 12 – 14 hours a day, 7 days a week to feed America.

Learn more about this award-winning film at TheHarvestFilm.com. Here’s a two-minute trailer.

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Posted in Bigots and Liars, Chicanos on Screen, DC Ojo, La Familia, U.S. Ethnic Relations, Violence Against Latinos, Viva La Union

Theft of Service Bill Passes TX Senate

Posted on April 27, 2011 | Comments Off

From the desk of Texas Senator Jose Rodriguez  comes word that SB 1024 which would protect workers from employers who would otherwise skip out on paying them for their work, passed the Senate unanimously.

AUSTIN — Yesterday, State Senator José Rodríguez’s Senate Bill (SB) 1024 passed the Texas State Senate with a unanimous vote of 31-0.  When signed into law, the measure will clarify existing law in order to reduce the number of workers who are not paid wages promised by an employer.

Annually, the Worker’s Defense Project receives complaints from workers accounting for nearly $7 million in unpaid wages.

“This bill will strengthen current law to make sure that those who do the work, get paid what they were promised,” said State Senator Rodríguez. “Although most employers follow the law, for those who think it’s acceptable to only pay partial wages, we must make sure the law is clear and that they are held responsible.”

In certain industries, such as construction, one in every five workers experiences wage theft.  Day laborers in particular are significantly affected by this issue, with 50 percent having experienced wage theft.  The impact of this theft is widespread and has caused many Texans to be unable to meet their families’ basic needs.

SB 1024 adds a section to the Texas Penal Code, which maintains that a person commits theft of service if, with intent to avoid payment, that person fails to make full payment after receiving notice demanding payment if the compensation was to be paid periodically.

DosCentavos.net is a supporter of the Texas Workers’ Defense Project and their lobbying efforts.

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Posted in Oportunidades, Texas Lege, Viva La Union, Your Wallet

Starving for Good Jobs Food Drive

Posted on April 12, 2011 | Comments Off

Courtesy ~ Offcite.org

After the City of Houston redistricting hearings, make your way down to 1001 McKinney to help the janitors who were fired from their jobs by the management company of that building–Cameron Management. Here’s more from SEIU Local 1:

Dear Friend,

It’s been over a week since most of the janitors who cleaned this building, 1001 McKinney, lost their good jobs. For the nine families affected, it’s been an anxious nine days of struggle as they face life without the fair wages and access to affordable health care those good jobs used to provide.

On Wednesday, April 13 stand together with Houston’s working families by donating non-perishable food items to the “Starving for Good Jobs” food drive in benefit of the fired 1001 McKinney janitors and their families.

The food drive will take place in front of 1001 McKinney from 12-1PM on Wednesday.

Now more than ever, our city needs employers who are committed to creating and protecting good jobs—not cutting wages and benefits to pad corporate profits. While companies like Cameron Management and PJS turn their backs on working people, we must step up to protect Houston’s chance for a better future.

Five years ago, responsible business owners joined Houston janitors in creating good jobs and raising standards in the cleaning industry. Together with their employees, these companies created a path out of poverty for thousands of janitors and their families—including access to affordable health care. But Cameron Management—the company that owns 1001 McKinney Place—has rolled back that progress by hiring PJS, a cleaning contractor that pays janitors poverty wages and denies them a voice on the job.

Please contact Paloma Martinez at martinezp@seiu1.org if you plan to donate or for more information.

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Posted in La Familia, Viva La Union

Happy Birthday, Cesar!

Posted on March 31, 2011 | Comments Off

Cesar would have been 84 today. Here’s Little Joe’s song about Cesar, and a photo montage I created a while back.

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Posted in Cultura Chicana, Viva La Union

Rally Sends Message: Don’t Mess With Texas Schools!

Posted on March 13, 2011 | 1 Comment

Teaching was the hardest work I had ever done, and it remains the hardest work I have done to date. ~ Gov. Ann Richards

Led in by a high school drumline, thousands of teachers, parents, students and just plain ol’ Texans converged on the Capitol to demand of the Texas Legislature and Governor Perry to “save our schools.”

Although estimates go from a Texas DPS trooper’s estimate of 8,000 to the organzers’ 11,000, looking at the crowd from the makeshift stage sure did make for a beautiful sight.

Speakers of all ages, such as Dallas student Dalton Sherman, educational leaders like Michael Hinojosa, Bobby Rigues, John Kuhn, and John Folks, and political leaders like Mayor Julian Castro of San Antonio anchored the event. Most impressive were students, parents and teachers who also spoke to the crowd about the educational needs of their respective communities.

The crowd looked like Texas as it was very diverse in color and in politics, yet, it was one issue that brought them to Austin from across the State of Texas:  Funding education.  And let me tell you, although the “attack” may have been on Rick Perry, the governor sure as hell earned it with his recent shirking of his responsibilities, blaming school districts for their budget shortfalls, although it is Perry who has threatened to cut $9 billion from public schools.

As Republican legislators begin to embrace the fact that releasing the Rainy Day Fund is a necessity, it seems they were also in town for the Rally. I know I saw several cars with “State Official” plates  parked on the Capitol grounds and at least one Republican state rep. from my neck of the woods was actually sitting with colleagues behind the podium, Dan Huberty (although in this pic, he seems to be his very own little island.)

No doubt, Huberty was there to greet and hopefully listen to his consituents (teachers,  students and parents) who made the trip for the rally, including Humble ISD chief Sconzo.

Six hours of driving, a nasty sunburn on my face, and dealing with annoying Austin bicyclists who think they own the road, I have returned to Houston satisfied with the out come, and reassured that these direct actions will continue across the state and in Austin. Hanging out with 8,000 or 11,000 (or even if it only had been 100)  of my closest friends was worth it.

It’s about Education, studid! As Texans, we have a right to demand what is right.

Reminder: Houston gets its own rally on the steps of City Hall on Tuesday, March 15. DosCentavos will be there, camera and all! Stay tuned!

Photos:  DCMedia, All Rights Reserved

Coverage:

Austin American Statesman
Texas Tribune
Coby @ Bay Area Houston
Off The Kuff
PDiddie
Eyes on Williamson County
Juanita Jean

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Posted in Higher Education, K-12 Education, Kingwood Politics, LatinoVote '12, Viva La Union

OutSmart Covers HISD-8 Candidate Juliet Stipeche

Posted on November 15, 2010 | Comments Off

Brandon Wolf at OutSmart provides us a very good article and interview on candidate for Houston ISD JULIET STIPECHE. Give it a read!

Join the Juliet Stipeche Campaign
www.julietforhisd.com/

Phone Banking – Seven Days a Week
Juliet Stipeche’s campaign office is at 7049 Lawndale in between Wayside and 75th Street.
Phone banking goes on every day between 2 and 8 p.m.
Monday–Friday, 10–6 on Saturday and 1–6 on Sunday.

Houston GLBT Political Caucus – Montrose Block Walking
Sunday, November 14, 2010 • 3 p.m.–5 p.m.
Caucus Headquarters: 1124 West Gray, Houston, Texas 77006

Important Dates:

Early Voting Dates:   November 18–24 (7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., including Saturday and Sunday)

Early Voting Locations:

Austin High School – 1700 Dumble, Houston, TX 77023
Furr High School – 520 Mercury, Houston 77013
Gregory-Lincoln Educational Center — 1101 Taft, Houston, TX 77019
West Gray Adaptive Recreation Center — 1475 West Gray, Houston, TX 77019

Election Day:   Tuesday, November 30

A complete list of polling locations is here (.pdf).

Anyone with an application for ballot by mail can send it to:

Houston ISD Run-Off Election
P.O. Box 924287
Houston, TX 77292

To request an application for ballot by mail, please call 713-556-6121.

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Posted in 2010 Profiles, K-12 Education, LatinoVote '10, Texas Dems 2010, Unidos Con GLBT, Viva La Union, Wise Latinas

DFERs Are DINOs?

Posted on October 27, 2010 | Comments Off

Apparently, a group called “Democrats For Education Reform” have quite the history, according to DFER WATCH.

As the website DFER Watch recently pointed out, at least two board members from the ultra-libertarian Cato Institute (co-founded by the infamous Koch brothers), made significant donations to DFER in the past several years, including former Cato Director Steven Ackerman and his wife, who gave a combined $10,000 to DFER in 2007.

DFER Watch also noted that Steven Klinsky, former hedge fund manager and founder of for-profit charter company Victory Schools, Inc., was one of only 17 donors to give the maximum $5000 contribution to DFER in 2010 – even though all of his other donations over the past year (over $29,000 in total) went to Republican candidates and political action committees.

Of course, the Koch Brothers (though not directly involved) are the proud owners of the Tea Party people who are trying to stop Latinos from voting here in Houston (and in District 8!), and the corporate charter school movement is all about profit, selective education, and teacher bashing.

I’m proud to say that my friend Juliet Kathy Stipeche is not endorsed (or Hot-Listed) by these DINOs in her race for Houston ISD Trustee District 8; instead, she is supported by community groups and elected officials who are on the ground fighting to provide over 200,000 HISD students a quality education, ensure fairness for teachers and district employees, and create an environment in which 21st century solutions are created for the challenges our schools face.

It does make one wonder. What’s the next group to be created to help right-wing interests?

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Posted in 2010 Profiles, Houston Politica, K-12 Education, LatinoVote '10, Texas Lege, Viva La Union