Community demands accountability from Ciro Rodriguez

75 demonstrators say No! to the Border Wall, family detention centers and the SAVE Act.

One Austin resident seeks to help AISD working families

Thank you for writing the article on the plight of the food workers at AISD and other nearby districts. As I read your article, I thought of the bureaucracy involved in providing something that is relatively inexpensive such as required dress for their jobs, and yet, it may be months or longer before they get their districts to cover the real costs of doing their jobs. Workers on the high end of the salary scale get their equivalents covered through travel reimbursements, paid sick and leave time, and the like. But when asked for help with clothes that are required to perform their low-wage jobs, the agencies turn away. This is just another reason that the working poor remain so desperate.

I am tired of waiting for the bigger agencies such as school districts to solve the problems for some of their hardest working, essential employees. I realize it is not much, but I would like to sponsor a food worker for their attire for next year, presuming that the districts will not do so. How can I go about providing a uniform for a worker?

Sincerely,

Tamara Atkinson

Thank you so much Tamara. This letter has inspired SWU to help raise funds to sponsor an AISD cafeteria worker for the 2008-2009 school year to get their required uniform. We hope that the generosity and solidarity of the Austin community will pressure the school district to do what is right. For more information email chavel@swunion.org.

More reflections from SxSW Albuquerque

At the south x southwest gathering in Albuquerque I really enjoyed meeting the youth from different states. The most memorable event for me was the film we saw on Chicano history at the museum. It really opened my eyes and showed me how similar the black and brown history is and how we share the same struggles. The time we spent hanging out with the youth from Mississippi and New Mexico was fun and I found that we were able to talk to each other as if we knew each other for years.
- Elisa, YLO intern

South by south west has been a cool learning experience and a strong loving environment. I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter where you come from, were you roots come from, you will have the same common struggles and goals in life.

- Melissa, YLO intern

South by Southwest how to start one of the best times of a life time. Learning how indigenous people survive and how they go threw a day searching for water. Learning how people have no water in the dessert and what they actually have to do just to have water. They reuse all the water they have and use solar panels to get some electricity. The thing that amazes me the most is that they all had to learn how to do it on their own. Learning about New Mexico and how they don’t have very much water. All of the water in New Mexico is used they are running on reusable water. Going up to Acoma was a wonderful experience Learning on how they ended up their and what their believes are. I believe every youth out there should get involved in change. Building the black and brown alliance is something we all have to struggle with and should accomplish.

- Liz, YLO intern

Ciro: we don't want a wall

Today in coalition with Grassroots Leadership, NO WALL-Big Bend and Southwest Workers’ Union staff met with lead staff of Congressman Ciro Rodriguez to pressure the representative to take a stand and action against the border wall and family detention.

We presented our letter of recommendations and demands, which include, the representative withdrawing his co-sponsorship of the SAVE Act, that expands through legislation family detention centers and supports more border walls. Additionally, we emphasized the need for the representative to create a public written statement denouncing the wall and actively oppose legislation that is faulty and violent to our communities regardless of political pressure.

Upon leaving we stressed to office director, Cesar Blanco, that we would push our campaign forward and will be outside his office next Thursday (July 17th) to hold a press conference and rally to bring more support to these issues.

Read & sign on to our letter, here

- Maria Sofia Corona

"CPS believes in the market" (for coal)

San Antonio on Wind Power and Transmission Lines (CREZ) from Power Time on Vimeo.

Produced by Environment Texas:

At issue is an upcoming decision by the Public Utilities Commission of Texas which will play a critical role in determining how much renewable energy is built in Texas in coming years. Environmental, economic development and public interest advocates, wind energy companies, more than 100 west Texas communities, and the San Antonio Express News have called for the most ambitious plan which would create transmission capacity for almost an additional 18,000 megawatts of wind and solar power. By displacing some coal-fired electricity generation, such a plan would reduce smog pollution from power plants by 13% and global warming pollution by 16%. It would also save consumers money, as expensive natural gas would be somewhat displaced by cheaper wind power, lowering the overall wholesale cost of electricity.

Increased Opportunity to Speak to Hondo City Council

SWU applauds the effort of Hondo City Council to allow residents to sign up to speak to city council the day of the meeting. With a vote of 4 to 1, the Council approved a measure that will expand the ability to address the council without having to go to City Hall by Friday at 5pm to speak at the Monday meeting. Vance Tomey, Place 2 was the lone ‘nay’ on this motion.

With a crowd that was flowing outside of the doors, this policy was implemented for the first time and 4 people were able to address the council. SWU sees this measure as a positive step towards making the local government and elected official more accessible to the people.

The next meeting to make your voice heard is Monday July 21st at 6p

Reflections from the SxSW in ABQ

The South X Southwest Conference held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Going to New Mexico didn’t simply offer a new place to travel or new food to taste; it gave me the opportunity to get in touch with my past, mother earth, and brothers and sisters in a struggle for a better world.

Albuquerque and the communities surrounding it are enthralled in the past. A small rural community outside of Albuquerque, Pajarito Mesa, is an example of people adapting to the lack of human resources by conserving water through recycling and using solar energy. Even though the people of Pajarito Mesa pay taxes, they struggle to get equal services like the other Bernalillo residents. The Petroglyph National Monument is described by many indigenous peoples as the “backbone of mother earth” and serves as a place of religious service.

The most inspirational program of the conference was the documentary, “500 years of Chicano History.” Within a few minutes of watching the film, I couldn’t help but feel like I was cheated out of having a truthful history in my education in Texas! The government had never kept any of its promises to Mexicans and has never truly acknowledged our contributions to American history. The lack of that acknowledgement separates our peoples. There is no doubt that African Americans, Indigenous peoples of America, and Latinos share a common history. This history is what can unite us in our struggles for an equal world, but government created a system where we ignore it.

- Uriel Gonzalez, SWU intern (aka the sleeping jaguar)

Change taking root in the community garden

front-line reporting fom Claire Goodwin-Gittlesohn, newest SWU intern extraordinaire:

The Roots of Change Community Garden is running and growing strong! Each week, community members, students, and members of the Southwest Workers Union have been working diligently, weeding, mulching, planting new black eyed peas and okra, harvesting tomatoes, and battling fire ants and aphids. Last week, we hosted a group of youth from the Boys and Girls Club, and we saw how exciting a little bit of dirt and some seeds could actually get. We taught them how important water was for our food to grow, and hopefully we changed their perspective on soil a little, showing them that it has purposes other than for getting you dirty.

Right now, we are growing organic tomatoes, cucumbers, okra, black-eyed peas, Serrano peppers, New Mexico green chiles, grapes, oregano, mint, bananas, strawberries, raspberries, green beans, and squash. The next few weeks we are hoping to harvest and plant more seeds, if the summer heat will give them the opportunity to grow. We're also building a compost and starting a native plant garden, which the entire community will be able to enjoy in the years to come.

We're always looking for new community members, students, and any other people who would like to help us with in the garden. So come on in and learn how fun gardening can be!

Call Claire at (210) 299-2666 for more info.