Harris County Employees Want to Join Labor Organization

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Leonard Washington has worked as a foreman for the Harris County Road and Bridge Department since 1999, and he said Wednesday he’d like a chance to negotiate safer working conditions for his team. “Guidance and listening to my team bring me the best results,” he said. “But right now, too many workers feel like they’re walking on eggshells, afraid to speak up about problems. We see Band-Aid fixes to problems that need real results, simply because the people making the decisions do not talk to the people operating the machines. How can you provide a solution without really understanding the problem?” Harris County is considering a means to allow its more than 20,000 employees to be represented by a labor union to negotiate pay and policies. If approved by Commissioners Court this week, the “employee consultation policy” would be the first of its kind for a Texas county, although similar measures are in place in cities, school districts and hospital districts. At the request of Commissioner Rodney Ellis, the item is on the March 19 Commissioners Court agenda. Standing beside union officials and Harris County employees holding signs that read, “Worker Power,” Ellis hosted a press conference Wednesday at the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation with Commissioner Lesley Briones and AFL-CIO Executive Director Hany Khalil. Harris County Commissioners Court has a 3-1 Democratic majority with Tom Ramsey as the lone Republican, so it appears Ellis has the votes for approval. County Judge Lina Hidalgo is expected to miss Thursday’s meeting because she’s on a trade mission in Europe. Ramsey posted on social media earlier this week that “this is a solution looking for a problem.” “We don’t need additional resources to go toward a labor union bureaucrat, who’ll not be totally focused or aware of the needs of Harris County,” he said. “This is either the first step to unionizing the county or just another initiative that sounds good on paper, costs more money and will cause more issues than it solves.” Ellis said the policy does not establish a union and is not collective bargaining, which is prohibited by state law, but rather offers employees a seat at the table with county management to advocate for good jobs, wages and benefits, working conditions and “other needs that they think are important.” “It gets them in a position where they can enjoy a life of dignity,” he said, noting that federal and statewide budget cuts have harmed county employees. “Harris County workers keep our county running,” Ellis said. “They fix our roads, keep our parks clean and safe, respond during emergencies and make sure government works. Although the commissioners and the judge get the credit or the blame, we know who really does the work.” If approved, the policy would create a consultation process by which 20 percent of the workforce that opts in chooses a labor union to become an agent for the employees. A team of workers, county management representatives and union leaders would meet regularly to propose changes, such as protocols regarding working in extreme heat or training criteria, to the county’s personnel policy, Ellis said. Khalil said the policy would benefit workers, employers and Harris County residents. “Here in Harris County, unions have worked closely with county commissioners on workforce protections and workforce development for years,” he said. “Together, we have given more Harris County residents access to high-quality career training and good jobs, both in the private sector and at the county.” Briones said she wants Harris County to ensure that its workers are heard. “This is personally deeply meaningful not only as one of your commissioners but more importantly, as someone who grew up check to check and has always been an advocate for working families.” Minimum wage in Harris County was recently raised to $20 an hour, but many employees struggle to live off that, Washington said. “For 27 years, I have worked with my hands, keeping this community moving forward through every major weather event we have had,” he said. “When I started this career in ‘99, I found stability. I love working with my hands. I love operating heavy equipment. I love building. I love my crew, and I care deeply about the safety of my crew and the neighborhoods I serve, because this is my home too.” The consultation policy would allow his crew members to bring issues and observations to the table “so management can do their jobs better,” Washington added. “By listening to more team members, you encourage solutions, less waste and more efficiency,” he said. “I see it every day with my crew. As a frontline worker, I believe all of us deserve a county that gets the job done right.” The post Harris County Employees Want to Join Labor Organization appeared first on Houston Press.

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