Rev. Paul Skeith from SoCo Episcopal Community and Central Texas Interfaith (CTI) testified at the Travis County Commissioners Court to advocate that any private company receiving public tax subsidies from the county pay living wages, benefits, a career track, and strategy to hire locally. The Court subsequently adopted these and other worker safety measures as part of a package advocated by CTI congregations and member institutions including Workers Defense Project, LIUNA, and Central Texas Building Trades.

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On Tuesday the Travis County Commissioners Court held a discussion on “Project Silicon Silver,” widely speculated to be the alias for chipmaking giant Samsung’s development contract. The discussion centered around acceptance of the preliminary application, along with a corresponding $150,000 fee paid out to the county by the developer.

The county is considering providing financial benefits in exchange for Samsung’s adherence to worker protection, wage, compensation, OSHA requirements and more.

Several citizen callers also stressed the need for county stipulations, including a living wage indexed to cost of living, local employee minimums and health insurance benefits for employees.

Father Paul Skeith of SoCo Episcopal Community advocated for all of the above issues, in addition to the opportunity for employees to rise within the company.

Jessica Wolff with Workers Defense Project highlighted the strengths of the development standards, citing the local hiring requirement, construction training requirement and anti-retaliation provisions, and called for the standards set in this policy to become the county norm.

”We recognize this is a great first step and there’s still more work to be done,” Wolff said.

Project Silicon Silver Proceeds at a Gallop, Austin Monitor [pdf]

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Grocery store workers belonging to United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 made their case Wednesday for reinstating hazard pay and safety protocols during COVID-19...

Union leadership, Coloradans for the Common Good faith leaders and the family member of a worker killed by COVID-19 [jointly called] a virtual press conference to address the conditions grocery store employees throughout the state are facing.

“Leaders of CCG are here today out of our concern for grocery store workers who are essential workers and have been a particular risk during this pandemic," Marilyn Winokur of CCG said. "We believe we need to do everything in our power to protect them and our communities while they continue to work.”

Winokur noted that CCG wrote letters to both Steve Burnham, president of King Soopers, and Todd Broderick, president of the Denver Division of Albertsons Companies, to ask for a meeting to discuss the concerns surrounding grocery store employees.

Both CCG and UFCW Local 7 noted the two main asks are for stores to reinforce hazard pay and safety measures to keep workers, customers and communities safe.

[Photo Credit: CBSN Denver]

'From Heroes to Zeros': Grocery Store Employees Seek Return of Hazard Pay as COVID-19 Ramps Up, Pueblo Chieftain [pdf]

Colorado Grocery Store Workers Ask for Reinstated Hazard Pay, KOAA News55 [pdf]

Grocery Worker Union Wants Reinstatement of Hazard Pay, CBSN Denver [pdf]

Press Conference Video, [pdf]

After Coloradans for the Common Good, with UFCW Local 7 and other allies, urged Colorado's Attorney General Phil Weiser to investigate workplace safety and public health concerns reported at a JBS facility in Greeley, CO, OSHA issued a citation for only $15,615. CCG argues that this "meager and insulting penalty, which amounts to only around $2,500 per worker life lost at that plant, will only embolden JBS’s brazen prioritization of its extraordinary profits over the health and safety of working Coloradans."

CCG Urges Attorney General Weiser to Investigate JBS, Coloradans for the Common Good