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Published
by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. CLICK FOR NEWSPAPER DELIVERY
Wednesday, October 17, 2001
Council votes 8-0 to discuss unions
United Steel Workers of America will present plan to unionize city workers Nov. 13
By Neal Falgoust
Caller-Times
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David Adame/Caller-Times
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City workers hold signs Tuesday supporting the formation of a union during a rally outside City Hall. Councilmen surprised the workers by voting unanimously to place the issue of unionization on a future agenda.
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Councilmen surprised hundreds of city workers and union supporters Tuesday by voting unanimously to place the issue of unionization on a future agenda.
Councilmen will hear a presentation from the United Steel Workers of America on Nov. 13 about that group's plans to unionize city workers.
The vote capped off an afternoon of sharp rhetoric during which union organizers and city workers threatened to vote off the council any member who opposed their efforts. The group, which numbered more than 300, according to organizers, rallied outside City Hall and then filled council chambers to stir support for the union.
They carried signs that read, "Earth to Mayor, Dah!!," "Better Find a New Job" and "Arrogance will get you nowhere."
Cheers erupted from the packed chamber when the council made its 8-0 vote at about 7 p.m. Organizers gave one another high-fives and hugged. Councilman Henry Garrett was absent.
Dues check-off opposition
Several councilmen had said earlier that if the issue of dues check-off came up at the meeting that they would vote against it. Dues check-off would allow union members to pay their membership dues through a payroll deduction. Councilmen on both sides of the issue said the vote Tuesday was a compromise
Councilman John Longoria, who opposes dues check off, said the presentation would allow a more detailed discussion of the issue in an open forum.
"We're going to get some facts," he said.
Mark Pitt, an organizer for the steel workers, said he was surprised by the vote.
"It's the best that we could have hoped for," he said.
So far, the union claims to have signed up more than 1,000 of the city's employees. There are about 1,900 employees who are not part of the police or firefighters unions.
Organizers said the dues for membership in the union would be 1.3 percent of an employee's pay. In the first year of the union, all of the dues would stay in local coffers. The money would be used to build a union hall and to get the infant organization running. After the first year, 44 percent of the money would be kept in local hands. The remainder would go to the national organization.
Only the employees who sign a card signifying that they are members of the union would pay membership dues.
Show of compromise
Councilman Javier Colmenero, one of the union supporters, said the move was a show of compromise on the council. It opens the door to more discussions and more movement toward a unionized workforce.
Mary Ann Valverde-Gomez, who works in the city's health department, said the vote was a way for councilmen opposed to the unionization effort to save face. She also said the show of unity in the number of people who turned out for the rally helped influence the vote.
"It's a good start," she said. "I don't think they expected to see so many city employees."
Contact Neal Falgoust at 886-4334 or falgoustn@caller.com
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a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.
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