HOUSTON – Houston-area unions representing workers at the George R Brown Convention Center applauded the decision by Houston Mayor Sylvester to cancel the contract with the Texas GOP to host the Texas Republican Party convention.
Lacy Wolf, President of the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, said: “We all want to go back to work, but we need to go back to work the right way. The plans for the GOP convention, with potentially thousands of attendees refusing to observe common-sense public safety guidelines, would have put every worker at the convention center at risk. That’s unacceptable.
“We thank Mayor Turner for having taken the tough decision to put the health of workers and the public first by canceling the convention. Houston First should never have let it get to this point. We call on them to negotiate with us a plan for how to reopen GRB to conventions safely.”
Members of five Houston-area unions frequently work at the convention center and nearby hotels: IATSE Local 51, UNITE HERE Local 23, IUPAT DC 88, SEIU Texas, and Teamsters Local 988.
Jon Lowe, Secretary-Treasurer of the International Association of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 51, said: “The closure of downtown venues led to 99% of our members being laid off, and many are looking for nearly any opportunity to go back. But none of us should have to put our health at risk during a deadly pandemic. We’re thankful that the convention has been cancelled.”
In addition to highlighting the public health danger the GOP convention posed to workers, union leaders also emphasized the need to protect access to health insurance for convention workers. Many workers at George R Brown Convention Center, which is owned by Houston First, are scheduled to lose their access to health insurance at the end of July.
Willy Gonzalez, Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 23 said: “Nearly 450 hospitality workers at the hotel owned by Houston First, a public entity, are losing their health care right when they need it most — during this unprecedented global pandemic. Houston First has a profound obligation to ensure these workers are safe and have continued access to health care coverage. We urge Houston First to come to the table and find a meaningful solution for these workers during this public health crisis. Time is running out.”
The International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) District Council 88, whose members include tradeshow decorators at the convention center, echoed the need to put safety first, but also the importance of including worker voices in decisions about reopening.
Jennifer Hernandez of IUPAT District Council 88 said: “Our members are ready and eager to return to work in the convention industry. An industry that was one of the first to be impacted by Covid-19 and likely an industry that will take longer to return. The return to work should have a focus on worker health and safety and we should have a seat at the table to help define what those safety guidelines should be. We want to work and contribute to the success of our city and communities while staying safe and healthy.”
Leaders from SEIU Texas and Teamsters Local 988 also underlined the need for long term solutions to address the impacts of the ongoing public health crisis, including protecting the right of workers to unionize and advocate for better conditions and protections at work.
Elsa Caballero, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Texas said: “This is just one example of a problem brought on by a lack of safety protections for workers in Texas. We need strong guidelines in place to ensure that future events at the convention center are safe and provide the protections GRB’s maintenance staff and contracted workers need.”
Robert Mele, President of Teamsters Local 988, said: “Our members have the job security and safety protections that they do because they came together and demanded them. This is what the labor movement is all about, and it’s critical that the City of Houston and Houston First recognize the rights of employees to unionize.”
Although it is likely that the Texas GOP convention will no longer take place in Houston, Rick Levy, President of the Texas AFL-CIO, also pointed out the hypocrisy of the decision to hold the convention in the midst of a massive COVID outbreak.
“Dan Patrick said he was willing to die for the economy, but even he wasn’t willing to show up in person for this convention,” Levy said, “It’s ridiculous that the Texas GOP expected workers to show up when even their elected officials thought it was too dangerous.”
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The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation (TGCALF), AFL-CIO unites the power of 95 unions representing 60,000 union members across 13 counties to advocate for working families in the Texas Gulf Coast. We mobilize our members and community partners to demand a fair shot at better lives for all working people — regardless of the color of our skin, which country we come from, or whom we love.
Learn more: www.gcaflcio.org/