Building Our Political Power to Rebuild Texas! TSEU’S Ally Delwin Jones Runs to Regain House District 83 U.S
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TEXAS STATE EMPLOYEES UNION PDAT Vol 31, No UCOMMUNICATIONS 2 WORKERS OF AMERICA, LOCAL 6186 /E AFL-CIO JUNE 2012 Electing the friends of state employees Building Our Political Power TSEU and TX AFL-CIO endorsements inside! to Rebuild Texas! TV GE IN OLVED TODAY! Blockwalks - phone Texas Primary Election banks - targeted Early Voting times: mailings - and May 14-25 more! Election Day: Tuesday, May 29 Sign-up form inside! www.cwa-tseu.org TSEU: Building Our LET’S TURN THE TIDE IN 2012! In the last elections, many of TSEU’s friends and allies were defeated on the anti- government sentiment that swept the country. Texas Political Power was hit harder than most by this sentiment which re- sulted in an unprecedented anti-government major- ity in the Texas house. Consequently, it also resulted to Rebuild Texas! in severe cuts to state services and public education. GET INVOLVED TODAY - take two steps to help build TSEU’s political power The only way we are going to fight back these attacks is by each union member contributing to COPE and volunteering in the upcoming election cycle. Across Texas, friends of state employees and the Union are in competitive races. TSEU members and state employees need to vote as a block so that we can elect candidates who care about funding quality services and the people who provide them. 1. Sign a 2012 TSEU Election Pledge Card 2. Join our political action committee CWA-COPE Union members from Amarillo to Brownsville have com- Money counts in politics. Candidates must win elections be- mitted to be a part of TSEU’s political campaign and signed fore they can help make laws; and while grass-roots volunteer the 2012 election pledge! The pledge not only lets us know work is very important in winning elections, so are television the types of campaign events you are interested in, but it time and other forms of campaigning that cost alot of mon- also makes you a part of a network of TSEU members who ey. Wealthy corporations and individuals give lots of money are the first to learn about election and campaign activi- to get their friends elected. We need more of our friends in ties, news and other information. You can get your pledge elected offices. We state employees cannot afford large indi- cards from any TSEU office or organizer, by contacting vidual contributions. We do not control vast corporate trea- TSEU Political Direc- suries that can give thousands of dollars at a time. But we can tor Derrick Osobase at make our voice heard by pooling many small contributions 512.448.4225 or doso- so they have a large impact. CWA-COPE com- [email protected], or bines our many small contributions so we sign-up online at the can gain a stronger voice in the politi- TSEU Legislative Pages cal process. Sign up for COPE today of www.cwa-tseu.org. using the form found inside! Member-to-member communication = VICTORY! TSEU’s statewide COPE committee met January 19th to discuss and plan the union’s campaign strategy. We all agreed that building TSEU’s political power is our top priority. The committee’s plans had a specific and concentrated focus on TSEU members contacting one another. As TSEU Member Sonia Samples put it, “Members need to know who the friends of state employees are! And they need to hear it from TSEU.” Our plan is to call every member in a priority race district, send them infor- mation on the candidates, and block walk our members. On Saturday, April 21st members of the Denton Area Committee met in Southlake to work on re-electing State Rep. Vicki Truitt. They delivered yard signs to TSEU members living in her district and asked them to vote for her in the upcoming primary. Pictured are (l-r) Nancy Gotcher (Texas Women’s University), Seth Hutchinson, and Amanda Craver and Sean Ryan from the University of North Texas. TSEU STAFF & OFFICES / www.cwa-tseu.org AUSTIN Sa N ANTONIO S OUTHEAST TEXAS N XORTH TE AS V ALLEY WESTX TE AS 512.448-4225 210.354-2900 713.661-9030 214.942-4305 956.428-0251 806.741-0044 1700 South 1st St. 454 Soledad, #R-200 9247 South Main 737 S. RL Thornton #B 801 N. 13th, #13 2002 Avenue J Austin, TX 78704 San Antonio, 78205 Houston, TX 77025 Dallas, TX 75203 Harlingen, TX 78550 Lubbock, TX 79405 TSEU/Tx AFL-CIO Endorsements AFL-CIO TSEU/Tx TEXAS HOUSE HD 95 - Ft Worth, Nicole Collier (D) HD 19 - Livingston, Mike “Tuffy” Hamilton (R) HD 35 - McAllen, Oscar Longoria (D) HD 90 - Ft Worth HD 98 - South Lake Lon Burnam (D) Vicki Truitt (R) HD 101 - Arlington DUAL ENDORSEMENTS HD 37 - Brownsville HD 39 - Weslaco Paula Hightower Pierson (D) / Chris Turner (D) Rene Oliveira (D) Armando Martinez (D) HD 40 - Edinburg, Terry Canales (D) HD 110 - Dallas - Toni Rose (D) HD 43 - Alice, Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles (D) HD 47 - Austin, Chris Frandsen (D) HD 74 - Alpine DUAL ENDORSEMENT Poncho Nevarez (D) / Efrain V. Valdez (D) HD 75 - El Paso, Mary Gonzales (D) HD 125 - San Antonio HD 117 - San Antonio Justin Rodriguez (D) Philip Cortez (D) HD 77 - El Paso, Marissa Marquez (D) HD 80 - Eagle Pass, Tracey King (D) HD 131 - Houston HD 137 - Houston Alma Allen (D) Joe Madden (D) HD 83 - Lubbock, Delwin Jones (R) HD 147 - Houston, Garnet Coleman (D) TEXAS SENATE SD 25 - San Antonio. Jeff Wentworth (R) Building Our Political Power to Rebuild Texas! TSEU’s ally Delwin Jones runs to regain House District 83 U.S. HOUSE While in the legislature, Delwin had always been a sensible and reason- CD 6 - Arlington, Don Jaquess (D) able Republican voice. He voted against HB 2292, which would have closed state run eligibility offices that determine benefits for needy Texas fami- CD 9 - Houston, Al Green (D) lies. Delwin also stood with state employees, supporting the 2007 across CD 14 - Beaumont, Nick Lampson (D) the board pay raise for all state employees. In 2001 and 2003, Delwin and TSEU members stood together and fought against closures of State Support Living Centers (formally State Schools). TSEU members proudly support Delwin Jones for HD 83. TSEU member and current Representative, Marc Veasey runs in new DFW congressional district Representative Veasey is running the in the newly created 33rd con- gressional district. Marc has worked on many very important issues like CD 16 - El Paso CD 20 - San Antonio the voter suppression law passed by the legislature last session and was a Silvestre Reyes (D) Joaquin Castro (D) member of the Pension, Investment and Financial Services committee. CD 18 - Houston, Sheila Jackson Lee (D) In 2009, Representative Veasey voted against the ERS pension cuts made by the 81st legislature. Marc has shown that he’ll stand up and fight for CD 23 - San Antonio DUAL ENDORSEMENTS working class issues and workers. TSEU proudly endorses Representative Pete Gallego (D) / Ciro D. Rodriguez (D) Veasey for the 33rd US congressional district. CD 29 - Houston, Gene Green (D) Tough campaign ahead for Doggett in Texas’ CD 35 Since 1994, Lloyd Doggett has been fighting in the U.S. House of Rep- resentatives for Texas families and union members. He has a long history with TSEU, standing with state employees against those who seek to de- stroy state services and the people who provide them. He has been one of the most effective and progressive voices for working class families in Congress. Doggett’s record and experience speak for themselves. In 2003, CD 33 - Dallas/Ft Worth CD 35 San Antonio/Austin when the Texas legislature passed legislation that would have privatized Marc Veasey (D) Lloyd Doggett (D) eligibility services and sent out pink slips to over 3,000 state employ- ees, Congressman Doggett urged the federal agency that controls Food Stamps to reject the plans. If the privatization plan had gone ahead, it would have closed down nearly 300 state offices and eliminated the face- to-face interview for Texans who are seeking assistance. His efforts led to the increased federal oversight that helped kill the plan. U.S. SENATE Congressman Doggett has been a strong ally of TSEU and has stuck with us through many difficult battles. That is why both San Antonio and Austin TSEU COPE committees endorsed Congressman Doggett. TEXAS PRIMARY ELECTIONS Paul Sadler (D) Early Voting: May 14-25 Election Day: Tuesday, May 29 State employees and services are under constant attack - COPE is one way to build the political power to fight back! CWA COPE funds are used for direct contributions to the election campaigns of candidates who are committed to support us and other activities that help us win on issues that affect us and the services we provide. In the last legislative session, friends of TSEU fought hard against constant attempts to slash budgets, privatize jobs, or cut health care; and because of their help, TSEU won many of the fights. COPE funds are used to make sure these friends return to the Legislature. We need more friends in the legislature, and COPE is a great way to do it. Attend a COPE meeting today and start getting involved in building real political power. AUSTIN: SAN ANTONIO: HOUSTON: 1st Monday each month 1st Tuesday each month 1st Wed each month (left) TSEU member Juanita Moshier joins COPE 6:00-7:00PM / TSEU office 6:00-7:00PM / TSEU office 6:30-7:30PM / TSEU office at TSEU’s “State of State Employees” discussion EL PASO: DALLAS: held this past March.