DALLAS—The Dallas City Council stood up for working people at its session on Oct. 23. Councillors voted to pause a $248,000 subsidy for the Dallas Black Dance Theatre in light of “allegations” that theater management fired ten professional dancers in May because they organized themselves with the American Guild of Musical Artists.
The process had begun two days earlier when the Dallas City Council’s Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee unanimously recommended the temporary suspension of funds.
The motion to the City Council was made by Councilman Paul Ridley. He said that he believes “unions are good for working people” and that the city should not support organizations that are unfair to workers. Ridley made it clear that he has always supported the Dallas Black Dance Theatre and attended their performances, however, he believes that management may have mistreated the employees.
The gravity of this decision became evident when almost every councilperson took their five-minute opportunity to speak and ask questions. The Quality of Life Committee responded, the chairperson of the Board of Dallas Black Dance Theatre responded, and one of the dancers was called temporarily to the microphone.
The fired dancers were in the audience, along with some of their supporters organized by Young Active Labor Leaders (YALL), a constituency group of 40-and-under union members and union supporters under the Texas AFL-CIO.
City Council meetings are held during working hours, but members of the Communications Workers, Teamsters, and Auto Workers, including the president of the AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, stood up with the Dancers when their spokespersons from YALL, Rose Curts and Chris Leal, made presentations.
The councilpersons’ comments were mostly legal and technical, but Councilman Chad West pointedly thanked YALL leaders David Lowery and Arash Farasat for leading the solidarity effort. As soon as the dancers had been fired, YALL moved into action and organized a number of public events and speaking engagements for them.
Their endorsement campaign brought signatures from many union leaders, political figures, Young Democrats, and the Dallas County Democratic Party, among others.
Councilman Adam Bazaldua made the issues clear when he said, “Union-busting has no place in our city!”
The vote in favor of the Fired Dancers and against union-busting was unanimous.
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