On October 15th, 2011, we held a house party in our home to raise funds and support the work of Proyecto Defensa Laboral/Workers Defense Project. This seems to be becoming somewhat of an annual practice in our home. We held our first party around the same time in 2010 for allgo, a statewide queer people of color organization. Our reasons for doing that are not much different, I’m sure, from the reasons others have for commiting to social justice: to use our space of home and our resources to build, nurture and sustain our community as a political space that feeds by being fed. And considering we live in a society that values individualism, recovering and reclaiming community as a space of knowing is a political struggle that continues and appears to have no end in sight. Yet, this struggle is not new for many of us as we continuously identify, improvise and respond to the challenges and assaults we face.

For many years I have worked in different roles with different organizations and with different missions, but quite often, similar visions. I witnessed how the practices and politics of these organizations came to be dictated and transformed by the financial support being chased to maintain the organizations above water and their doors open for the communities they served. It was not easy and the skills of hustling were daily invoked to do the work in the way we felt it had to be done within the parameters we had been given by state funders. Despite the hustling and endless improvising that was mustered up on a daily basis, it did not guarantee that funding would not eventually come to an end. What it did seem to guarantee, however, were subtle compromises that would eventually lead to an end of the missions and visions on which these organizations were conceived. We learned that there was no political autonomy without financial independence and relying on state funding compromised our political agenda. It is not easy to navigate, without consequences, through the daily threats of ceased funding within the urgency in which many of our communities struggle to survive and thrive. At the same time, to build a politically autonomous organization, also calls for (re)claiming and (re)imagining holistic creative ways of surviving and thriving. With all the attacks and impositions made on our homes, our communities, our bodies, our spirits, our minds–our histories, we are told our homes don’t matter. We are told that we can’t rely on our neighbors, our families and friends, our memories, or ourselves. We are taught to leave our communities and seek remedies elsewhere—that what we know with our own flesh has no significance. Me niego a tragarme estas mentiras, and opening our home to not only support PDL, but to recognize and honor the history that brought about its existence, was a deliberate act of refusal. It is an act of going home, coming home, being at home, (re)claiming home, and haciendo hogar. And in the name of keeping it real, I recognize that home is often fraught with struggles, tensions and violations that closed doors and windows cannot keep out. Home is not always a place of safety and the things we fight against outside of our homes find a way of seeping into our homes and into our desires. It is in recognizing and naming the volatile origins of these unsafe spaces and divesting ourselves of them that becomes all the more crucial.

Looking through the pictures we took the night of the party made me think of the sense of solidarity and political commitment we shared. There were people laughing wholeheartedly, sharing food, sharing thoughts, dancing, and silently thinking. There were pictures of the food catered by Café Rebelde that left many salivating and contributed to making the event a memorable one. People not only shared food and drink; they shared memories, desires, and visions. Many asked questions about PDL as some felt compelled to share their experiences as immigrants or children of immigrants. At times it felt as if knowing more about PDL was somehow a way of understanding and affirming their histories of migration as well. While the party was a success, some people did not come, and I wondered why and if something could have been done differently to have them. The struggle is critical and we can’t afford to leave anyone behind. Perhaps there were conversations that needed to happen; perhaps we needed to think of other strategies to spread the word. The event itself was a force of nature–from the phone call it took to spark it; to Café Rebelde feeding us; to Jaime Cano weaving music for us; to the trabajadores giving purpose to the event, to the gathering of people in the space of home, so that even if just for a moment in a series of many, cada quien ponga su granito de arena.

Saturday, March 31st and Sunday April 1st, 2012 * Saturday, March 31st and Sunday April 1st 9am to 4pm

Come join us for a friendly co-ed, 7 v. 7 soccer tournament.  Registration is $25 for individual players or $250 per team.  All proceeds will go towards the purchase of computers for our Computer Literacy Courses.  Click here for more details and registration forms.  For more information please contact candace@workersdefense.org.  Don’t play soccer?  Thats ok!  You can still support WDP members in these courses.  Simply make a donation and let us know its for the Soccer Tournament.

Come and work with us looking how the world change before your eyes while obtaining:

* Life-long experience and skills,
* Referrals for future employment,
* Possible class credit,
* A monthly stipend, and
* an amazing work environment!

We are looking for different interns with different skills, interests and characteristics in general:

* Research Assistant in Austin, TX

* Green Building Intern

* Community Garden Intern

* Sustainable Employment Practices Researcher

* Youth Empowerment Program Intern

Follow the links above to look for details or contact Workers Defense Project at the number 512-391-2305.

And Remember: In Unity, There Is Strength!

To that end, we invite you to join us January 14th from 7-10 PM for a family friendly game night! We will be playing chess, checkers, dominoes, Chutes & Ladders, Scrabble, Sorry, and a whole lot more, drinking hot chocolate and sharing some snacks and some laughs. Since the night is all about sharing, please feel free to bring some snacks yourself or even your favorite board game, and be ready to have some fun with the Workers Defense Project family!

Sincerely,
The Workers Defense Project Team

What: Game Night!

Where: 5604 Manor Rd

When: January 14th 7-10PM

How: $4 for non-members, $2 for members, children free

Who: You!

“I couldn’t say nothing because I did not have papers,” Mr. Gala said. “So he was like, ‘If you say something, you can just get deported. I can call immigration on you, or you can get fired.’ ”

Mr. Gala, who was brought to the United States as a small child, grew up not knowing his immigration status until it came time for him to find a job. Workers’ rights advocates say that is not unusual; wage theft is a major problem in Texas, particularly among undocumented workers who do not push for their rightful earnings for fear of drawing the attention of immigration officials.

During the 2011 legislative session, Texas lawmakers passed Senate Bill 1024, which closed a loophole allowing employers to escape prosecution if they had paid employees only a portion of the wages owed. But now that the law is in effect, organizations and lawmakers in at least three Texas cities — Austin, El Paso and Houston — are facing a new challenge: how to ensure that wage theft prosecution is a priority.

In Austin, the Workers Defense Project, a workplace justice group, is collaborating with Representative Eddie Rodriguez, Democrat of Austin, who sponsored the bill in the House, to set up a meeting with Austin’s police chief and the district and county attorneys about enforcing the wage theft law. State Senator José Rodríguez, Democrat of El Paso, who wrote the bill, set up a task force in El Paso to work on putting the measure in effect.

In Houston, the Metropolitan Organization, an interfaith social justice nonprofit group, plans to meet with local authorities and elected officials to ensure that the law is enforced.

The challenge, particularly in urban centers, supporters say, is that district attorneys and police departments may feel they have far more pressing crimes to deal with.

And law enforcement officials will face a lingering problem: that underpaid workers — many of them immigrants — will not feel brave enough to pursue charges. In construction jobs, an estimated one in five workers experiences wage theft, according to a legislative analysis of the Senate bill. Half of all day laborers are believed to have suffered wage theft.

For the Metropolitan Organization, the wage theft law is not just about employees’ rights; it is a way to carry out immigration reform in the current political climate. The Rev. Kevin Collins, the organization’s co-chairman, says that while illegal immigrants are less likely to report having their wages stolen than United States citizens are, they will still benefit from the reform.

“It will start to change the culture,” Mr. Collins said, alluding to the employers of illegal immigrants. “They’ll start to say, ‘I can’t get away with this like I thought I could.’ ”

hsvoboda@texastribune.org

For full story go to:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/us/organizations-work-to-enforce-wage-theft-bill-aimed-at-immigrants-employers.html

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at http://www.texastribune.org/immigration-in-texas/immigration/cities-work-make-wage-theft-prosecution-priority/.

Attendees heard from workers, faith leaders, and the newly formed WDP Band, all echoing the same message: Holiday Inn should step up and ensure that these workers are paid for their honest work. However, when a delegation entered the hotel to speak with the general manager, they received the same old message: “No comment; It’s out of our hands.”

So we’re calling on you to ask that Holiday Inn do the right thing!

What you can do to help:

• Call and let Holiday Inn know that you want them to ensure that all of the workers are paid.
  • Contact info for Holiday Inn Midtown:
    • Jeff Erickson, General Manager 512-451-5757 GM@hiausmid.com
  • National Holiday Inn costumer service line: 1-800-621-0555
    • Dial the phone number, press 1 and then 5, then stay on the line for a case manager
  • Example of what to say:
    • Hi, my name is __________. It has come to my attention that a group of workers that did remodeling at the Holiday Inn Midtown in Austin were not paid at all and are owed over $10,000. I just want to ask that Holiday Inn work with Workers Defense Project to ensure prompt payment to these workers who are legally owed for their work.
      

• Write a review of Holiday Inn Midtown on Yelp or  Trip Advisor that draws attention to the case, like this one  here.

See Holiday Inn’s response to the protest in
this video from Austin IndyMedia

Other Press Coverage of the Protest:

• Austin Chronicle
• Univision
• Ahora Sí
• Austin IndyMedia Article
• Left Labor Reporter

Mexican American Cultural Center

600 River Street – Austin, TX

Thursday September 22nd, 2011

6:30pm to 9pm

Honoring State Senator José Rodríguez and Marek Brothers Construction

With food from El Sol Y La Luna
Music by Cerronato and Seu Jacinto
Beverages from Black Star Co-Op, Botticelli’s and Crown Imports

Come celebrate our 9th year of working to empower low-wage workers to act collectively
for racial and economic justice in the workplace.

Tickets are $25 – Please consider sponsoring a low-wage worker who may otherwise be unable to attend.

For more information and to RSVP please contact Amy at amy.r@workersdefense.org or call 512-391-2305.

Tickets can be purchased here. Please indicate that your donation is for the “Anniversary Event”

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Please join Workers Defense Project, Third Coast Activist Resource Center and Third Coast Workers for Cooperation for a Work Day at 5604 Manor. Together volunteers, staff and community members will make repairs, paint, do yard work and make other necessary renovations to the building. As a community center, 5604 Manor cannot survive without the generous help of volunteers. Come enjoy some BBQ, meet new people, learn more about 5604 Manor and most important be ready to work! Please join us for a fun-filled day!

8am to Noon – First Shift
1pm to 5pm – Second Shift
5pm to 7pm – BBQ, Welcome and Speakers
7pm – Performance by the Workers Defense Project Band

Last week’s landmark victory for construction workers came on the heels of yet another avoidable tragedy in Austin’s construction industry, which served as a call to attention for those of us who watch working conditions. As we all well know, summer time in Austin brings about soaring temperatures that can be deadly for those working outside all day. A 17 year-old construction worker was found nearly dead at 704 West, a worksite in downtown, last Tuesday June 7, with a 108 degree body temperature, and he was rushed to the hospital. While the boy is projected to have a full recovery, we know that the situation could have ended much worse, and ensuring access to water and having rest breaks can prevent incidents like this.

Given this sad news, it shows all of us that it is more vital than ever that we continue to work to reach agreements like the one signed with Maxum Development last week, and continue to push for stronger enforcement and implementation of last summer’s water & rest break ordinance.

We at WDP would like to thank all the speakers and attendees from last week’s historic agreement announcement! We hope the signing of this agreement marks the beginning of a new era of partnership between the construction industry, WDP, and other concerned members of the community of Austin.

See images from the press conference in the bar to the left, and click on the following links for related press coverage of the event, last week’s worksite incident, and an article about the recent bill that passed to protect workers from wage theft:

KXAN Press Conference Coverage:

YNN Press Conference Coverage:

http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_stories/278834/21-rio-developer-partners-with-worker-safety-program

KUT Wage Theft Bill Coverage:

http://kut.org/2011/06/legislators-aim-to-curb-wage-theft/

KXAN Worksite Incident Coverage:

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/business/council-wants-to-update-rest-break-law

Austin Business Journal Article on the Premier Builder Agreement:

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2011/06/14/austin-energy-offers-green-building.html