The Young Active Labor Leaders (YALL), a Texas AFL-CIO constituency group, is bringing together young union activists from across the Lone Star State for their Summit on September 5-7 at the Dallas Convention Center. Unions and other progressive organizations are donating tens of thousands of dollars to send their younger members and to provide scholarships for any and all activists. Rose Curts, a pivotal member of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter, says, “This could be a turnaround moment in Texas labor!”
YALL has been the cutting edge of solidarity for North Texas unions for years. They led the successful contract fight for the Dallas Black Dancers by mobilizing big public events and political support. They have helped Starbucks Workers United organize more shops than in many other areas of the country. Every organizing drive and every contact fight benefits from their community-based approach.
YALL members recognize the importance of electoral politics. When the Dallas AFL-CIO kicked off its most recent campaign with endorsement meetings, YALL members showed up. When the phone banking and canvassing began, YALL was at the forefront. As the election ended, YALL members attended “follow up” meetings with elected officials and are still doing it.
YALL were the ones to introduce the problem of genocide in Palestine to a Texas AFL-CIO convention with a special forum they presented. The next day, the state federation took a ceasefire position that quickly caught on with the national AFL-CIO.
More recently, they created a statement that was read to the Dallas AFL-CIO meeting by state Vice-Chair Arash Farasat:
“The Israeli military has abducted Chris Smalls, along with 20 other members of the Handala Freedom Flotilla, in international waters as they were en route to bring life-saving aid to Palestinians in Gaza, including baby formula, food, and medical aid. We have learned that Chris was also brutalized and physically assaulted in Israeli custody, leaving visible signs of violence on his neck and back. Chris was the only Black person on the flotilla and was punished much more severely than any of the other 20 members detained.
Chris is a labor leader who has been an inspiration to so many of us in the labor movement, and he continues to inspire us through his courage in taking action to end a brutal genocide and save lives. We were honored to have Chris join us at our last YALL Summit here in Texas as a guest and speaker.
Take Action: Tag, email, and call your elected officials. We demand Secretary Rubio and the State Department speak out and act NOW. We demand an end to the blockade and the genocide in Gaza NOW….Chris, we remember well what you told us – ’Build. Towards. A. General Strike.’”
Smalls is a highly respected American labor leader, especially popular among the younger set. He was released by the Israeli military after rough treatment. He represents the kind of aggressive tactics, use of the latest technology, and devotion to the working class that characterizes Texas YALL members.
“YALL is the kind of organization that labor needs to become and is becoming,” says Stu Becker, Co-Chair of the YALL Dallas Fort-Worth Chapter.
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