DALLAS—Picketers in the cold in Dallas, Nov. 25, learned that the local union cause they have been supporting since August has gone national. Instead of defending themselves from more than 40 charges filed by the National Labor Relations Board in traditional ways, management has chosen to try to have the National Labor Relations Act, and with it virtually all federal law protecting workers, declared unconstitutional.
The incredible effort was launched a few weeks earlier by the richest man in the world, Elon Musk, who lives about 190 miles south in Austin. Vicious Texas employers are now the spearpoint of capitalism’s drive to push everybody backward by hundreds of years of struggle for workers’ rights.
Fortunately for American workers, the ten fired dancers are standing strong. Their supporters from the labor movement, led by a mixed organization of unionists and other activists named Young Active Labor Leaders (YALL), have brought good crowds to picket every time that the scab dancers perform.
American Guild of Musical Artists organizer Griff Braun told the crowd that attendance is low at every scab performance, and that “hardly anybody” had gone around our picket line and into the building.
Rich people and corporate sponsors are deserting the theater management, Braun said. The Dallas City Council voted unanimously against union busting and withheld $248,000 in subsidies for management at the theater.
Support continues to grow. The president of the Dallas Central Labor Council, Gene Lantz, read statements from several prominent Texans.
Dallas City Councilman Paul Ridley said, “I strongly support the fired Dallas Black Dance Theater performers in their efforts to unionize and obtain fair labor practices from their employer. There is no place in our city for union-busting. I call upon DBDT to reinstate the performers with back pay and agree to collective bargaining with the union. I am proud to stand in solidarity with the fired workers.”
Texas State Rep. Jessica Gonzalez declared, “The skilled artists that make Dallas’ Black Dance Theater one of the most unique dance troupes in the country—they are entitled to the right to organize, strike and negotiate with their employer. Dallas won’t stand for union-busting—we’re a union town. I’ll always support workers in their pursuit of fairness and justice, and I am proud to stand with the fired workers of the Dallas Black Dance Theater!”
“As the son of an Illinois Education Association (IEA) member, I know that the right to collectively bargain is one that helps provide financial stability and dignity for workers and their families,” said Dallas City Councilman Chad West. “I look forward to the day that our city can enjoy performances at the Dallas Black Dance Theatre again from its dedicated and talented dancers.”
Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Leonard Aguilar said, “The Texas labor movement continues to stand in full solidarity with the fired dancers of Dallas Black Dance Theater. Their steadfastness in the face of an egregious union-busting campaign is an inspiration to workers everywhere. As DBDT aligns itself with anti-worker corporations like SpaceX and Amazon to claim the NLRB is unconstitutional, we will keep fighting to get these dancers the justice they deserve.”
Braun announced two more picket dates and then asked everyone to buy tickets for the Fired Black Dancers’ benefit performances on December 18 and 19 at the Dallas Latino Cultural Center.
Speeches from Braun and Lantz are featured in a “Facebook Live” video at https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1B2fMRDAUr/.
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