News - Houston DSA

Support workers building the new dorm at UH

Post author By Jane
Post date February 2, 2020

The University of Houston is spending $124 million to build a brand-new 1,200-bed dormitory to replace the aging Quadrangle. It’s a symbol of UH’s increasing popularity and growing prestige among Texas universities. There’s just one problem — UH isn’t making sure the general contractor or subcontractors on site are paying the workers who are building it the prevailing wages required by Texas Prevailing Wage Statute Section 2258.

Both Federal and Texas state law mandate that publicly-funded projects pay workers the prevailing wage, similar to a minimum wage, specific to the work they are performing and the local area.

Eight workers building the Quadrangle Housing Replacement to lay drywall for the project have filed a prevailing wage complaint, claiming they are being paid as general laborers, not drywall installers. This type of wage theft is called miscategorization, and it’s a common way for companies like Austin Commercial, the general contractor, to pad their bottom line by paying workers less for what should be higher-paid work.

While more workers have come forward than the eight workers who filed the complaint, even that small number of workers is owed over $43,000 in stolen wages — that’s more than $5,000 per worker. How would you feel if your boss paid you $5,000 less than you earned for your work?

The workers at UH aren’t alone: Texas workers lose $1.2 billion every year to wage theft, including one in five construction workers. We must stand with all working people who aren’t being paid what they earned and deserve. We all pay for the University of Houston, and our money should not sponsor worker exploitation–it must be spent fairly.

The University of Houston has until February 16 to respond to the workers’ prevailing wage complaint. Chancellor Renu Khator has the power to make the contractor pay its workers the money they’ve earned.

Call Chancellor Khator at 713-743-8820 and tell her that our public university must treat the workers building their institution fairly. She must fix this problem.

Want to do more? Contact these two city councilors and ask them to urge Chancellor Khator to make sure Austin Commercial is in compliance with the law and get workers paid what they’re owed.

MARTHA CASTEX-TATUM: call 832.393.3016 or email districtk@houstontx.gov

CAROLYN EVANS-SHABAZZ: call 832.393.3001 or email districtd@houstontx.gov

Press Release

Houston DSA Resolution #13: Endorsing Metro Transit Authority Prop A, or “METRO Next”

Post author By dan
Post date October 11, 2019

WHEREAS the Harris County Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) has put forward Metro Transit Authority Prop A, a ballot measure to create bond authority for the implementation of a public transit expansion popularly known as “METRO Next”;

WHEREAS the METRO Next plan represents a $3.5 billion public investment in transit infrastructure, including 75 miles of new bus rapid transit service, 16 miles of new light rail service, 110 miles of dedicated regional bus transit, and 290 miles of improved local bus service;

WHEREAS unlike highway projects, which are imposed on our communities for the benefit of the wealthy business interests and real estate developers, METRO Next is designed to seek and incorporate input from the communities it impacts and make decisions based on public need;

WHEREAS increasing ridership and participation in public transit is a positive step toward raising public consciousness around democratic decision-making, public ownership, and the necessity of de-commodifying public spaces, and growing public demand for more equitable transit infrastructure, urban planning, and development geared toward communities and human need;

WHEREAS transit is inextricably linked to housing justice, as one’s proximity to employment, education, health care, and public services is a function of one’s access to transit and affordable housing, all while Houston’s dependence on highways and automobiles underpins an economic structure that creates wealth for developers and landowners at the expense of the working class;

WHEREAS eliminating dependence on fossil fuels and rapidly moving to denser, more sustainable models of development are key components to reverse climate change, equitably address those effects of climate change already present, and build an ecologically sustainable economy and society;

WHEREAS in advancing the above the METRO Next plan furthers DSA’s vision of a humane social order based on popular control of resources and production, economic planning, equitable distribution, feminism, racial equality and non-oppressive relationships;

BE IT RESOLVED Houston DSA endorses a YES vote on Metro Transit Authority Prop A, METRO Next, and shall publicly advocate for this position through mass communication, voter contact, and other means.

Passed at the Houston DSA October 2019 General Meeting.

Press Release

Houston DSA Resolution #12: Opposing Texas Prop 4, the Prohibit State Income Tax on Individuals Amen dment

Post author By dan
Post date October 11, 2019

WHEREAS, Texas Proposition 4, the Prohibit State Income Tax on Individuals Amendment, seeks to preclude future state legislatures from re-examining Texas’s tax policies via democratic discussion;

WHEREAS, Texas Proposition 4 intends to prevent a state income tax, a means of progressive taxation, from ever being levied, thereby leaving regressive methods of taxation as the only means for Texas to collect taxes;

WHEREAS, regressive taxation unfairly burdens lower-income and working-class families by having them pay a far larger share of their income than the upper class in taxation;

WHEREAS, regressive taxation, in particular sales taxes, exacerbate the rapid widening of income inequality between the elitist capitalist class and all others;

WHEREAS, Texas has the second-most regressive system of taxation amongst all states, with the current effective tax rate for the bottom 20 percent of wage-earners in Texas — more than quadruple the effective tax rate of the top 1 percent of wage-earners in Texas;

WHEREAS, states that utilize state income taxes come the closest to parity in effective tax rates across the income scale;

WHEREAS, states that rely on more progressive taxation are more likely to experience the revenue growth needed to fund improvements to public goods such as schools, infrastructure, and healthcare programs;

WHEREAS, decisions regarding taxation should be made through democratic discussion and should not be prohibited or made subject to dilatory tactics;

BE IT RESOLVED, the Houston chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (Houston DSA) opposes Texas Proposition 4, the Prohibit State Income Tax on Individuals Amendment.

BE IT RESOLVED, Houston DSA endorses a “NO” vote on Texas Proposition 4 for the 2019 General Election.

BE IT RESOLVED, Houston DSA seeks to maintain an unencumbered democratic process so that future generations of Texans may decide what system of taxation works best for them rather than being constitutionally prohibited from doing so.

Passed at the Houston DSA October 2019 General Meeting.

Resolutions

Resolution #11: Houston DSA Supports Community Efforts Against I-45 Expansion

Post author By Houston DSA
Post date August 8, 2019

WHEREAS, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)’s North Houston Highway Improvement Project (NHHIP) will displace households, reduce air quality, make flooding worse, and destroy parks.

WHEREAS, 428 of the 1,235 displaced housing units are low-income and homeless veteran units.

WHEREAS, increased traffic on the expanded I-45 thoroughfare will pose a distinct health risk to adjacent communities.

WHEREAS, TxDOT’s project does not meet City of Houston and Harris County standards for flood resilience.

WHEREAS, the expansion of freeways does not reduce traffic, but makes traffic worse.

WHEREAS, the approaching climate crisis requires a rejection of car-based transportation infrastructure and investment in public transportation.

WHEREAS, the only way to deal with this impending catastrophe is to stop it and send TxDOT back to the drawing board.

WHEREAS, STOP TxDOT I-45 and the Make I-45 Better Coalition have formed to address these concerns and oppose the project.

BE IT RESOLVED, the Houston chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (Houston DSA) opposes the North Houston Highway Improvement Project.

BE IT RESOLVED, Houston DSA endorses the work of STOP TxDOT I-45.

BE IT RESOLVED, Houston DSA endorses the work of the Make I-45 Better Coalition.

BE IT RESOLVED, Houston DSA and its members will assist the endorsed groups with opposition to the NHHIP through messaging uplift, canvassing, phone banking, and attendance at community meetings.

Passed at the Houston DSA August 2019 General Meeting.

Press Release Resolutions

Houston DSA endorses Ashton P. Woods for Houston City Council At-Large 5

Post author By Houston DSA
Post date July 13, 2019

July 12, 2019 — Houston DSA announces its endorsement of Ashton P. Woods’ candidacy for Houston City Council, At-Large Position 5.

Woods, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Houston, long-time community organizer, and Houston DSA member, received the chapter’s endorsement at its July 11 general meeting.

“Ashton’s vision for making Houston a more equitable city aligns fully with DSA’s values,” said Hannah Thalenberg, Houston DSA co-chair. “His campaign is guided by and accountable to impacted communities, and sets an example of how one can remain a grassroots organizer as a candidate and elected official.”

Ashton’s campaign is being funded by grassroots donors, run with the expertise of experienced, paid staff, and is supported by activists and organizations across the country, including Democracy for America and the Free Thought Equality Fund.

Houston DSA’s work on behalf of Ashton is designed to be educational and focus on issues, to target communities that have been neglected by other candidates, and to connect people to organizations who are doing social and economic justice work on the ground — all things that Ashton plans on continuing to do when elected.

“We look forward to fighting alongside Ashton to advance our vision for a more equitable, democratic Houston — where working people are empowered in our institutions, workplaces, and communities, where no one is marginalized, and where everyone’s voice is heard.”

For press inquiries, please contact info@houstondsa.org.

Tags Endorsements

Uncategorized

May General Meeting POSTPONED to May 16 due to inclement weather, likely flooding

Post author By dan
Post date May 9, 2019

Due to the severe weather in tonight’s forecast and a flash flood watch taking effect this afternoon, we will be postponing the May 9th General Meeting to the following Thursday, May 16, from 7–9pm at the usual location, Gulf Coast ALF, 2506 Sutherland Street, out of concern for comrades’ safety.

Please keep an eye on weather forecasts and reports of street flooding as you make it through today, take whatever safety precautions you can, and don’t hesitate to reach out for help: by email info@houstondsa.org or by text (832) 930-6583.

Stay safe, and in solidarity,
Houston DSA Steering Committee

Press Release

Houston DSA adopts resolution in support of Houston Firefighters’ struggle for pay equity and a fair contract

Post author By Houston DSA
Post date April 22, 2019

April 15, 2018 — Houston DSA announces its membership has adopted a resolution supporting the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association (IAFF Local 341) in their ongoing struggle for pay equity, and denouncing Mayor Sylvester Turner’s threats to lay off hundreds of firefighters and cut emergency services to some of Houston’s most vulnerable communities.

The resolution, adopted at Houston DSA’s general meeting held Thursday, April 11, calls on Mayor Turner to return to the bargaining table and negotiate a contract that phases in pay parity for firefighters, and further condemns the Mayor’s latest legal challenge to workers’ collective bargaining rights.

“At its root, this is a labor issue,” says Hannah Thalenberg, Houston DSA co-chair. “Mayor Turner’s actions are a threat to collective bargaining rights and to all working people across Texas.”

Houston DSA urges its membership and allies in the progressive community to call their council members and demand that they:

Reject any measure authorizing firefighter layoffs or cutting any fire and EMS services to Houstonians;
Strongly oppose the City’s lawsuit against the firefighters’ union as a dangerous attack on workers’ rights;
Fully fund city workers and services by repealing the revenue cap, which disproportionately benefits the wealthy at the expense of working-class Houstonians.

The full language of the resolution is included below. For press inquiries, please contact info@houstondsa.org.

Tags Firefighters, Labor, Prop B

Resolutions

Houston DSA Resolution #5: Supporting Pay Parity for Houston Firefighters and Opposing Layoffs and Cuts to Fire and EMS Service

Post author By Houston DSA
Post date April 22, 2019

WHEREAS Houston is now the largest city in the United States that does not provide such pay parity between police and firefighters;

WHEREAS as a result of Mayor Lee Brown ending the City of Houston’s policy of pay parity for firefighters and police officers in 2001, Houston’s firefighters now earn considerably less than their counterparts elsewhere in Texas, with Houston paying its first-year firefighters 24% less than San Antonio, 33% less than Austin, 43% less than Dallas, and 54% less than Baytown;

WHEREAS in 2004 a revenue cap was pushed by Mayor Bill White upon the City of Houston in order to placate fiscal conservatives, dramatically restricting the amount of revenue the City can raise through taxation;

WHEREAS Mayor Sylvester Turner was elected in 2015, on a moderately progressive platform with the endorsement of the Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association (HPFFA), the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 341;

WHEREAS Mayor Sylvester Turner succeeded in passing a pension ‘reform’ bill, SB2190, in the 85th Texas Legislature of 2017, which using the slogan of “shared sacrifice” took away pension benefits of approximately $140,000 per Firefighter, $90,000 per Police Officer and $45,000 per municipal worker, as well as created pension obligation bonds investing $750 Million in the HPD pension, $250 Million in the Municipal Workers Pension and $0 in the HFD pension.

WHEREAS the city was unwilling to negotiating a contract through collective bargaining with the HPFFA in 2016, and firefighters’ demands for fair pay led to the creation of a ballot initiative, ultimately known as Proposition B, which if passed would require the city to restore pay parity;

WHEREAS more than 32,000 Houston voters signed a petition to successfully place Proposition B on the ballot during July of 2017, and the city was forced by a lawsuit to count the ballot signatures by HPFFA lawsuit to be place on the ballot of the November 2018 election;

WHEREAS in the November 2018 election, 290,000 Houston voters approved the firefighters’ proposal, comprising 59% of the vote;

WHEREAS the Firefighters proposed to phase in the cost of these raises over 3 years through a collective bargaining contract with the City of Houston;

WHEREAS the Mayor could have easily placed revenue cap repeal on the same ballot, and worked in solidarity with the HPFFA to at once build public support for raising firefighter pay and remove the city’s crippling financial constraints;

WHEREAS the Mayor and the City of Houston have yet to implement pay parity, have demanded a five year phase-in with incomplete data that excludes full parity with HPD over incentive pay, and have responded with multiple plans for layoffs and closures, initially to lay off 378 firefighters, close six fire stations, and take two ladder trucks out of service, this week to layoff 287 firefighters and take more than a dozen apparatus out of service;

WHEREAS the Mayor and the City of Houston refuse to swear in 68 fire cadets at the Val Janke Training Facility, denying them civil service protections, and have sent them pink slips, indicating they will be fired this summer, while at the same time swearing in more than 130 police cadets;

WHEREAS the Mayor has further filed a lawsuit that, if successful, would effectively render union collective bargaining rights unconstitutional;

WHEREAS reactionary mayoral candidates such as the Trump fundraiser, Tony Buzbee, and former mayoral candidate, Bill King, have made overtures to the IAFF without expressing solidarity with the broader labor movement;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Houston Chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America will adopt the following positions:

Houston DSA joins IAFF and HFT to denounce the mayor’s legal challenge to collective bargaining rights;
We oppose any plan by COH to cut firefighters or close fire stations, and ask Mayor Turner and the City Council to reject any budget that cuts fire and EMS services to Houstonians;
We demand the mayor return to the bargaining table and negotiate a contract that phases in pay parity;
We demand an end to the revenue cap that disproportionately benefits the few wealthiest property owners at the detriment of most Houstonians and we demand political leadership from the mayor’s office and our elected officials.
We call for a true progressive challenger to all three mayoral candidates, who will fight for labor rights for all in the City of Houston.
We reject any plans to privatize fire or EMS service.