Leaders from the Worker’s Defense Project, a member institution of Austin Interfaith, successfully lobbied city council members to pass a resolution that will protect and train workers on all city-owned construction sites, whether or not a third-party is the developer.  Until now, city contracts did not require safety trainings in a situation where the city allows a third party to develop city-owned property (examples of such developments are the Mueller Development, the Seaholm Power Plant and Water Treatment Plant No. 4.)

The resolution will also require that a safety supervisor with 30 hours of training be present at construction sites. A study released by the University of Texas in 2009 found that the Texas construction industry is the most deadly in the nation, with a worker dying on the job every 2.5 days. In Austin, one in every five construction workers is seriously injured on the job, in part because 64% of construction workers have never received a basic safety training. Numerous studies have found that safety training reduces costly accidents and saves lives.

At the Austin Interfaith Accountability Session this past April 800 people gathered, heard stories on a range of issues including unsafe working conditions and asked all candidates for city council if they would support expanded safety training. The candidates publicly answered that they would, and they kept their commitment—now all workers on city-owned construction sites, even when a third party developer is used, will be provided with an OSHA 10 hour safety training prior to working on the construction site.

Video of City Council (Click on Item 106)

As part of a $4.3 Million subsidy by the City of Austin to White Lodging Services Corp. to build a convention center hotel, Austin Interfaith, building trades unions, the Equal Justice Center and the Workers Defense Project (a member institution of Austin Interfaith), called on the City Council to require the company to pay all its construction workers the prevailing wage for their industry.  (Prevailing wage is the industry standard set by the Federal government for a locale).  Austin Interfaith leaders Patty Saragusa, Gina Hinojosa and Emily Timm worked on this effort as part of Austin Interfaith's living wage strategy and efforts to make sure any public subsidies to private companies lead to public gains like living wage jobs.  In a related issue, investors behind the Formula One Racetrack decided to pay their own local match to state's $25 Million / year subsidy rather than ask the city council for the local subsidy.

 

Perhaps there is another explanation for the increased turnout in early voting for the runoff election: Austin Interfaith.

In a release on Thursday, the ecumenical group said it has “conducted an intensive non-partisan Get out the Vote Campaign” over the past three months for the May 14 city election and the June 18 runoff. According to the group, more than 100 leaders from 27 Austin Interfaith member institutions took to their pulpits, got on the phone and went door-to-door to get out the vote. Its leaders targeted five specific precincts: on the East side precincts 124, 438 and 439; on the South side in Dove Springs, Precinct 450; and on the North side, Precinct 163.

During the last weekend of early voting Austin Interfaith leaders engaged over 700 households with the result that early voting was up significantly, they say. Austin Interfaith targeted several precincts in November 2010 with similar results.

Austin Interfaith les urge a votar según su consciencia en la elección de segunda vuelta para el consejo municipal.

Haz 'click' en el articulo o video abajo para descubrir como las candidatas Randi Shade y Kathy Tovo respondieron a la agenda de Austin Interfaith sobre la seguridad en el trabajo, permisos legados para los taxistas y un sueldo digno.

Artículo

Video

 

La votación temprano comienza Lunes, 6 de Junio y termina el Martes, 14 de Junio.

Los lugares para votar están abiertos entre 7:00 am – 7:00 pm en el Ultimo Día para Votar – Sábado, 18 de Junio.

So Far, Another Sleepy Austin Election May 7, 2011 4:16 pm by: Erika Aguilar Austin voters have showed little interest in early voting so far this year, says Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir. She says less than two percent of registered voters in Travis County have cast ballots for the Austin City Council Elections. “We’ve only had a little more than six thousand people go in person to early vote,” DeBeauvoir said. “That is really, pretty low.” DeBeauvoir is quick to remind people that there are still a few days left in early voting. The deadline is Tuesday. The meager turnout is motivating community members with Austin Interfaith to hit the streets. This weekend the group block-walked in East Austin neighborhoods to remind people to vote. Minerva Camarena Skeith knocked on apartment doors at the Booker T. Washington complex in East Austin. “There are a lot of people who are registered, it’s concentrated, and we can go very quickly,” she said. Travis County’s DeBeauvoir says low voter turnout is usually the norm in City Council elections, especially when there is no Mayor’s race or hot-button initiative on the ballot. ” I think the highest percentage turnout we’ve had is about 13 percent, here, in the most recent years,” DeBeauvoir said. It was the smoking ordinance proposed in the May of 2005 that drew out that modest crowd of voters. DeBeauvoir said she believes people just haven’t gotten around to voting yet. But Minerva Camarena Skeith says some are just confused. “Part of us coming out here walking to encourage people to vote is that you’ll hear these misconceptions and myths about voting or why people don’t vote, and we can both educate but also encourage and make sure there is a purpose for voting,” Camarena Skeith said. Take Janice Bell. She hasn’t voted in five years because she thought she had to register to vote every year in order to cast a ballot. “Ohh, (people are) probably like me. Thinking you have to register every year or if you done change your address, you have to go through a lot more difficulties, you know, so it’s probably just the change,” she said. Whatever the reason, you still have until Tuesday to make your choice. Just take your driver’s license with to any polling center in town. But on Election Day, Saturday, May 14, voters will need to report to their assigned precinct to vote. [email protected]

Network of Texas I.A.F. Organizations PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 5, 2011 FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Paul Skeith, 484-0590 On May 5, 2011 at 11:30 a.m. , The Network of Texas IAF Organizations will hold a press conference calling on the House and Senate to pass a budget that invests in the future of Texas. This includes spending the rainy day fund and finding new sources of revenue to fully fund public education, healthcare, and economic development initiatives like the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) Fund. The press conference will be held in room E1.026 in the Capitol. “We cannot cut investments that secure our economic future. Education and healthcare are investments in human capital, and the JET fund is designed to help labor markets work more effectively,” said Father Alfonso Guerra of Valley Interfaith. He added “The Senate budget is better than the House budget, but both need to invest more.” Last session, the Network of Texas IAF Organizations worked with Comptroller Susan Combs and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst to create the $25 million Jobs and Education for Texans ( JET ) Fund. This includes the $10 million Launchpad Fund for successful nonprofits such as Capital IDEA in Austin, Project QUEST in San Antonio, Project VIDA in the Rio Grande Valley, and ARRIBA in El Paso. These projects train adults earning on average $10,000 before entering the program for jobs which pay $38,000 on average after graduation. The Network of Texas IAF Organizations also supports greater investments in public education funding and scholarships programs like the Texas Grants. “We understand that these are tough budget times, but failing to adequately invest in workforce and education will weaken our state’s ability to compete economically and attract business,” said Paul Skeith, a leader with Austin Interfaith. “With 68% of Texans without a college education, we need investment in strong public schools that prepare students for college and adult workforce projects that move people out of a cycle of poverty[i].” Attached is a list of Texas business leaders who have written letters in support of reauthorization of the JET fund. The Network of Texas IAF Organizations includes the following organizations: Dallas Area Interfaith, Communities Organized for Public Service, Metro Alliance Border Interfaith, Valley Interfaith, Austin Interfaith, El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization, Allied Communities of Tarrant, The Border Organization, The Metropolitan Organization, West Texas Organizing Strategy. Letters of support to the JET Fund: Austin Interfaith Members of the Central Texas Business Community (Martha Smiley, Mark Curry, Jay Hailey, W. Eric Hehman, Earl Maxwell, Adrian Neeley, Allyson Peerman, Pete Winstead) The Austin Diagnostic Clinic (Robert W. Spurck, Jr., FACHE, Chief Executive Officer) Austin Chamber of Commerce (Michael W. Rollins, CCE, President) Real Estate Council of Austin (Jeff Howard, President) EPISO Bank of the West (Burt Blacksher, Executive Vice President) Wells Fargo (Martha Rochford) The Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce (Richard E. Dayoub, President and CEO) Hunt Companies, Inc. (Joshua W. Hunt, Senior Vice President) Stephen J. Wolslager The Electric Company, El Paso Electric (Richard Fleager, Senior Vice President, Customer Care and External Affairs) University Medical Center of El Paso (James N. Valenti, President and CEO) Valley Interfaith Brownsville Chamber of Commerce (Angela R. Burton, President and CEO) Valley Regional Medical Center (David Handley, Chief Executive Officer) TMO MFR, Accountants & Consultants (Gasper Mir, III, Pricipal, MFR, P.C.) United Way of Greater Houston (Anna M. Babin, President and CEO) Memorial Hermann Healthcare System (Dan Wolterman, President and CEO) Marek Family of Companies (Stan Marek, CEO) COPS/Metro San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (Ramiro A. Cavazos) Tom Frost Alamo Colleges (Bruce Leslie, Chancellor) Dallas Area Interfaith Baylor University Medical Center (John McWhorter, President