Brothers, Sisters and Siblings,
We made it through another week of the legislative session. As the session picks up, we must be stronger than the forces that seek to keep the working people of Texas down. A lot happened this week, and we need your help. Here is what you need to know.
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HB 2127, the omnibus anti-worker bill that threatens to undo essential worker protections and strip communities of our ability determine how the places we live and work are governed is being debated by the House on Tuesday.
We need your help to protect the workers of Texas- TODAY 👇
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HB 20 would deputize vigilante citizens to hunt down and arrest migrants who have come to our state seeking safety.
On Wednesday, this cruel, dangerous, blatantly racist bill was heard in the House State Affairs Committee. Because of the Committee’s unacceptable decision to limit testimony, many people who waited over 12 hours were not able to have their voices heard, including our Immigration Coordinator, Jesus Perales.
You can read his full testimony here.
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HB 2872 by Rep. Mary González would provide a way to hold employers who intentionally withhold wages accountable in an accessible way through an online, public database. The bill was heard on Tuesday.
Whether intentional or not, wage theft happens regularly in our state, through nonpayment for work completed, failing to pay the minimum wage or overtime, uncompensated breaks, and having to work “off the clock.” It’s simple- time spent working should be compensated.
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In a HUGE win for Texas workers, HB 567, the CROWN Act, by Rep Rhetta Bowers, which would prohibit race based hair discrimination in workplaces and schools, passed in the house. No Texas worker should be punished for the way they wear their hair. The CROWN Act is long overdue in our state.
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We joined a coalition of organizations in opposition to HB 5, which was heard this week. HB 5 would bring huge tax cuts to corporations, while diverting funding away from public education and putting an unfair burden on working Texans and their families to pick up the slack.
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SB 150 threatens to further limit who is eligible for unemployment benefits in our state. As our Director of Politics and Policy, Emily Amps, said in her testimony against SB 150 this week:
“This bill does not take into account the type of people who are in greatest need of this support – Texans who work low-paying jobs, often with minimal, if any, benefits, who lose their job through no fault of their own and who may live in a region or community where they are competing with others for their next low-paying job. Of course, that’s if they qualify for benefits in the first place.”
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Despite the House resoundingly voting to prohibit the spending of state money on voucher programs, six dangerous voucher bills were heard in the House Committee on Public Education this week. The fight against vouchers is far from over. Stay tuned for actions you can take to protect our neighborhood schools and fight for our teachers and school staff.
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Who said Texas doesn’t have unions? On Wednesday, hundreds of TSEU members, grad students and retired teachers marched on the Capitol to demand pay raises, pension security and the respect they deserve.
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INTRODUCING: LABOR IN THE LEGE INTERVIEW SERIES
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