COPS / Metro Gets Reaction From City on Living Wages, and Keep Pushing
On the heels of COPS / Metro's recent disruption of business-as-usual at a public budget hearing, District 4 Councilmember Rey Saldana took up the cry for a higher minimum wage for City employees.
Read more"Councilman Rey Saldaña said that while he supports giving relief to taxpayers, he also would support leaving the rate the same if the funding helps increase wages for the city's lowest-paid civilian employees. Communities Organized for Public Service and the Metro Alliance have been advocating for the increase, which has been backed by some council members."
Austin Interfaith Launches Job Training Program for Teens
Austin Interfaith and Austin Independent School District (AISD) jointly announced the launch of a high school job training program targeted at students from three local high schools: Travis, Crockett and Lanier.
Modeled off the Summer Youth Employment program, created by Austin Interfaith 20 years ago in partnership with the City and County, this program will teach high schoolers leadership and soft skills like timeliness, and professional conduct. Another goal is to develop summer internships in 2016 for students who complete the leadership training. Senator Kirk Watson was in attendance at the announcement, as were AI leaders Rev. Robert Elford and Ms. Ofelia Zapata who spoke.
Read moreCOPS / Metro Crashes City Budget Meeting, Presses for Wages
The tone at most of San Antonio's big City Council budget goal-setting sessions may have historically been positive, but that tone notably shifted when 70 COPS / Metro leaders showed up.
COPS / Metro leader Robert Cruz, pointedly asked the city's budget director what the city intends to do with the $24 million in revenue it received in excess of forecasts when the 2015 budget was adopted last year. He asserted that he wanted some of that money go to workforce training program Project Quest and local literacy programs.
Read moreSisters Combat Poverty, Impacting Thousands in San Antonio
At a graduate recognition ceremony for 200 Project Quest students, Executive Director Sr. Pearl Ceasar and Boardmember Sr. Gabriela Lohan -- both instrumental in the creation and implementation of the long-term workforce development program -- congratulated each one on stage.
Says Sr. Pearl Ceasar:
Read moreCOPS Metro & County Judge Link Living Wages to Election
Days before the San Antonio mayoral election runoff, church and state united to urge voters to the polls and while there, to remember that San Antonians need a living wage. COPS / Metro leaders and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, with Commissioners Tommy Calvert and Paul Elizondo, held a joint press conference announcing that the County would do their part to increase wages, and that the City should as well. Councilmembers Shirley Gonzalez and Rey Saldana showed up in support.
In the lead up to this election, leaders held an accountability session with Mayoral candidates, asking for their support on matching the County wage hike (to $13 / hour this year and $15 / hour in two ) and increasing investment in long-term workforce development.
Read moreValley Interfaith Upsets Pharr Election, Community Wins Big
Las Milpas, TX - A culture of disrespect towards Las Milpas residents had become so pervasive that when Valley Interfaith leaders sought funding for a local library last year, the Mayor declared: " is not a Whataburger where you pull up and give your orders....use the school library." The disrespect extended to leaving streets unpaved in the colonia over two decades and turning a blind eye to the 4-hour bus commutes of UT-RGV college students as they trudged on foot over a mile to the nearest stop. Rather than let the City's response deter them, leaders used the disdain to fuel a 7-month electoral brawl including a Get Out The Vote strategy that ultimately replaced the Mayor and deposed dismissive officials.
Valley Interfaith leaders Eddie Anaya, Claudia Garcia, Monse Martinez, and Mauro Hernandez launched a campaign to change the power structure in Pharr, starting with meetings held in homes and at churches. Says Anaya, "We knew, with Valley Interfaith, there was only one way to do this."
Read moreTMO Parent Leaders Defeat Unpopular Rezoning Plan
TMO Lyons Elementary parents won an 8 - 1 Houston Independent School District board vote against proposed boundary changes to their school. The changes would have sent students from one of the top ranked schools in the state to one ranked in the lowest 18% statewide. Parent leaders signed up 600 petitioners opposed to the change to convince board members that this was a bad idea.
Read moreCOPS / Metro Demands End to Detention of Refugee Families
More than 60 interfaith allies, including leaders from COPS/Metro Alliance, demanded an end to the detention of refugee children and mothers in private prisons at Dilley and Karnes City, Texas. Leaders held a press conference on Friday, May 8th at the San Antonio ICE field office, during which Fr. Walter D'heedene from Sacred Heart Catholic Church spoke, alongside leaders from the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC), the Interfaith Welcome Coalition, the Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry (TXUUJM), and RAICES.
The group attempted to deliver petitions calling for an end to imprisonment of refugee children.
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Texas IAF Fights Anti-Sanctuary Bill SB 185
On Monday at 8am, faith leaders across Texas arrived at the Capitol to fight Senate Bill 185, which would outlaw sanctuary cities in Texas and threaten local efforts to build better relationships between police and communities. Sponsored by State Senator Charles Perry, from Lubbock, the bill would prohibit cities from forbidding police to enforce immigration laws.
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