Workshop Inspires, Energizes CWA, Sierra Club Members in Texas

Coalition-Building Event Focuses on Shared Goals for Jobs, Environment

As part of CWA's coalition-building efforts, Texas CWA and Sierra Club members met for two days in June to discuss joint projects that would help workers, create jobs and protect the environment.

Revved up by a high-energy workshop last month, Texas CWA and Sierra Club members learned how much they have in common, and how to put their shared principles to work in the fight for good jobs and a clean, safe environment.

The two-day meeting in Austin brought together 16 CWA members, 13 Sierra Club members and the coordinator of a Texas alliance for clean energy jobs.

The 30 participants learned about each other’s organizations and goals, discovering how similar they are. With both unions and environmentalists under corporate, political and economic attack, the workshop stressed that a united movement is the only way to fight back.

"We learned how much more effective we could become if we join our forces to achieve our common objectives," said Local 6137 Vice President Jake Tafolla. "We were awed by the potential. Walking away, I feel we are all looking forward to working together to build the strongest of coalitions for the common good of our communities, our state, and our nation."

In spite of the relentless attacks from common enemies, Tafolla and other participants emerged optimistic. They gave the workshop rave reviews and said they're excited about what they can accomplish together, from legislation and political campaigns to broadband build-out and other projects.

A similar meeting, also generating great enthusiasm, was held earlier this year for Virginia CWA and Sierra Club members. The groups helped each other oppose telecom and environmental deregulatory bills in the Virginia Legislature that would have benefited corporations at the expense of workers, consumers and the environment. Now, activists are working on an action plan for fall.

In Texas, participants divided into groups to work on such issues as unfair trade deals, massive state budget cuts, the pending AT&T/T-Mobile merger, ways to create clean-energy, union jobs in Texas and the 2012 elections. Each group explained how and why the issue "is important to CWA, the Sierra Club and Texas, identified allies and targets, and identified specific ways in which both groups could work together when they get back home," said CWA Research Economist Ken Peres, who coordinated the meeting.

One group didn't wait: They asked all participants to write to their member of Congress regarding the AT&T/T-Mobile merger, and collected the letters to mail.

Dave Cortez, Texas coordinator for the Apollo Alliance, said he's "thrilled" to have been part of the workshop and has heard the same thing from other veteran activists. "They've told me that it was unlike any other training they'd experienced," he said. "What I learned in the meeting is already helping me to build bridges between environmental and labor activists in other organizations."