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Weakened Oversight
With organizing on the rise, San Antonio unions worry about National Labor Relations Board’s paltry funding
BY KARLY WILLIAMS
Despite increased labor organizing activity across South Texas — and the country — the first congressional funding bump in a decade for the federal agency overseeing U.S. labor law came in at just $25 million.
The increase, approved as part of the massive omnibus spending bill, will help the already understaffed National Labor Relations Board avert furloughs, something unions said would cause further blows to their mission. Even so, many worry the additional money simply isn’t enough.
Frank Perkins, President of Teamsters Local 657 in Windcrest said the lack of resources at NLRB could hurt organizing drives and slow the processing of labor board charges. In addition to processing petitions, the agency conducts union elections, oversees collective bargaining and probes potential labor law violations.
The NLRB receives about 20,000 to 30,000 charges per year from employees, unions and employers, covering a range of unfair labor practices, according to its website. NLRB agents must investigate each of those, and a 57% rise in union election petitioning in 2022 has increased processing time for the agency, unions warn.
“[As a result,] the employer has more time to try to intimidate the employee,” Perkins said.
In San Antonio alone, Starbucks workers continue to organize, and the NLRB also is overseeing the bargaining efforts by workers at nonprofit arts group SAY Sí.
Jolt Union President Jen Ramos said she’s been frustrated at the time lag on two unfair labor practice charges her union filed with the agency. The union represents workers at Jolt Action, a nonprofit that encourages Latinx political participation.
One of those charges involved a union member that was terminated without notice the day before Thanksgiving, according to Ramos. She said the union has reason to believe he was fired illegally for his outspoken support of labor.
Twenty other employees at Jolt Action — which maintains offices in Austin, Houston, Dallas and San Antonio — have left over the past six months, she added.
“We have been told our claims could take from six months to a year to get heard,” Ramos said. “There has been a major push for unionization, which is good, but for workplaces that need the help and support, this is just an added struggle to getting fair treatment.”
Greg Gamez, business manager for the International Union of Elevator Constructors’ San Antonio local, said the NLRB’s lag times are a significant blow to efforts to boost wages at a time of record inflation and wage stagnation.
“This is not just about unions. It’s about an American worker,” Gamez said. “When union pay increases, so does other private sector pay — to compete with those jobs.”
Gamez — who has written to Texas elected officials on the issue — said backlogs will continue to increase with furloughs and underfunding.
At the San Antonio local for the American Postal Workers Union, President Alex Aleman said he’s concerned for fledgling unions in the South that already face the challenge of being located in a right-to-work state.
“It would have a bigger effect on newer organizers at places like Starbucks and Amazon,” Aleman said. “People in San Antonio need better wages and better lives so they can stay here.”
Weed decriminalization looks destined for San Antonio ballot after petition hits 35,000 signatures
BY MICHAEL KARLIS
Areferendum that would decriminalize low-level marijuana possession in San Antonio, among other criminal-justice reforms, appears destined for the ballot in May.
As of the Current’s Monday press time, police accountability group Act 4 SA, voter-mobilization outfit Ground Game Texas and roughly a dozen other progressive organizations said they planned to submit more than 35,000 signatures Tuesday to the city clerk for verification. The groups need just 20,000 verified names to get their San Antonio Justice Charter in front of voters.
Other than decriminalizing small amounts of pot within city limits, the charter would end the criminalization of abortion in San Antonio. It also would codify the San Antonio Police Department leadership’s current ban on no-knock warrants and police chokeholds.
“So many long hours filled with sweat, and even some tears, went into gathering these signatures, and we couldn’t be more grateful to the incredible folks who were out there putting in the hard work,” Act 4 SA Executive Director Ananda Tomas said in an emailed statement.
The charter would still need approval from San Antonio voters in the May election. The city’s powerful and deep-pocketed police union has promised to campaign against it.
SPURS VS. WARRIORS
When the Spurs fell to the Warriors in November, the rout sent San Antonio into an 11-game tailspin that tested the young team’s resolve. Jordan Poole proved to be the difference maker for the defending champions in San Francisco, leading all scorers with 36 points. For the rematch, the Spurs return to the Alamodome, the arena they called home for nine seasons, including their first championship campaign. Some 60,000 fans will be in attendance to celebrate the franchise’s 50th anniversary. After a brief stretch of playing .500 basketball, the Spurs remain on the lower end of the standings. With Devin Vassell recovering from an arthoscopic procedure on his left knee, it will take a team effort to replace his average of 19 points per game. The Warriors’ lackluster record away from home presents a golden opportunity for the Spurs to get a win on national television, despite Vassell’s absence. $17 and up, 6:30 p.m., Alamodome, 100 Montana St., (210) 207-3663, alamodome.com, ESPN. — M. Solis
MON | 01.16
SPECIAL EVENT
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. MARCH AND CELEBRATION
After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, San Antonio’s Martin Luther King Jr. March and Celebration — one of the largest such gatherings in the United States — will take place in person for 2023. The 36th annual event will start at Martin Luther King Jr. Academy and culminate with a park celebration at Pittman-Sullivan Park. As in years past, the park celebration will include a main stage with multicultural performances, a health and wellness zone, a youth area, food and merchandise vendors and information booths. Free, 10 a.m., Martin Luther King Jr. Academy, 3501 Martin Luther King Drive, Pittman-Sullivan Park, 1101 Iowa St., sa.gov. — Nina Rangel
SUN | 01.15
Spurs / Reginald Thomas II
SPECIAL EVENT
Brazilian-born filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade credits animals with saving his life. After growing up in the poverty-ridden favelas of Rio de Janeiro, DeAndrade sought refuge from his abusive upbringing among the sights and sounds of the nearby rainforest. During those formative years, he formed a passionate bond with animals and decided to help convey their untold stories. DeAndrade would later channel that passion into prolific careers in both wildlife photography and filmmaking. Ultimately, he became host of Nat Geo’s digital series Untamed, which shines a light on the intricacies of daily life for animals across the globe. In many aspects, DeAndrade is achieving his goal of giving a voice to the voiceless. In this National Geographic Live presentation, DeAndrade will discuss approaches to navigating toward one’s life passion and living with intent. Throughout the talk, he’ll showcase some of the world’s most amazing animals, from jumping spiders to jaguars, and even one of the rarest in the world — the hawk moth. $15-45, 2 p.m., Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, (210) 2238624, tobincenter.org. — Brandon Rodriguez
FRI | 01.20
Jaime Monzon
COMEDY
DEMETRI MARTIN: THE JOKE MACHINE
Expect comedian Demetri Martin, known as a master of the deadpan one-liner, to put that skill to use his latest tour, The Joke Machine. Also expect music to be part of the act — he’s known for spicing up his routines by accompanying himself on anything from the guitar to to the glockenspiel. His stand-up specials The Overthinker and Live (At the Time) are both available to stream on Netflix, and his 2016 feature film Dean, a comedy-drama about a cartoonist, won the Founder’s Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival. Along with his success onstage and in film, Martin is also an acclaimed writer, who’s penned two New York Times bestsellers. $39.50-$149.50, 8 p.m., Charline McCombs Empire Theatre, 226 N. St. Mary’s St., (210) 226-3333, majesticempire.com. — BR
FRI | 01.20
Courtesy Photo / Empire Theatre
SPORTS
SPURS VS. CLIPPERS
The Spurs look for their first win this season against Paul George and the Los Angeles Clippers following a pair of losses to the team in November. The seven-time All-Star paced the Clippers with 32 points when the teams last met in San Antonio, to help overcome a career-high 29 points from Devin Vassell for the Spurs. George went on to miss seven games due to a strained hamstring, which he recently tweaked during a game against the Miami Heat. The Spurs closed out 2022 with a tight loss to Dallas that included a 51-point performance from Luka Doncic, and the team opened the new year with a dispiriting 36-point defeat against the Nets in Brooklyn. With the halfway point of San Antonio’s rebuilding season in the rearview mirror, the Spurs remain on course for a 14% chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery and the rights to draft French phenom Victor Wembanyama. Next up for the Spurs is a three-game West Coast swing that concludes with a contest against the Clippers in Los Angeles. $10 and up, 7 p.m., AT&T Center, One AT&T Center, (210) 444-5000, attcenter.com, Bally Sports SW-SA. — MS
Saige Thomas Courtesy Image / City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture Rene Hernandez
FRI | 1.13 SUN | 01.29
SPECIAL EVENT
DREAMWEEK
From Jan. 13-29, the 11th annual San Antonio DreamWeek will provide a series of civic-engagement events scheduled around Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Founded by Shokare Nakpodia, a Nigeria native and San Antonio advertising executive, the 17-day series provides plenty of food for thought about race, social justice and empowerment — and it kicks off with an opening ceremony breakfast ($65, 7:30-9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 13, Briscoe Western Art Museum, 210 W. Market St., dreamsecured.org/dwsa-opening). Additional information and a full calendar of events is available online at dreamweek.org. — Karly Williams
DREAMWEEK GALLERY TALK: REPRESENTATION & IDENTITY IN PIERRE DAURA’S GOOD HENRY (1947)
Catalan American artist Pierre Daura left his native Spain to live in Virginia — a formerly segregated state — after he sustained injuries fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Daura painted Black staff members at Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg to the dismay of his employers at the school. American art curator Regina Palm of the San Antonio Museum of Art tells the story of Daura’s struggle to paint his fellow human beings in the divided American South. $5, 6-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., (210) 978-8100, samuseum.org.
“Between Yesterday and Tomorrow: Perspectives from Black Contemporary Artists of San Antonio” presents art related to Black history and identity, family dynamics, social connections and spirituality. Curator Barbara Felix has included drawing, painting, photography, mixed media, digital media, sculpture and quilting by artists including Calvin Pressley, Don Stewart, Naomi Wanjiku and Angela Weddle, among many others. After a Jan. 19 opening reception, the exhibition will be on view through Nov. 17. Free, 6-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, Culture Commons Gallery, 115 Plaza De Armas, getcreativesanantonio.com.
PUSHOUT: THE CRIMINALIZATION OF BLACK GIRLS IN SCHOOLS
Nonprofit Empower House (formerly Martinez Street Women’s Center) is presenting this documentary inspired by the book of the same name by Monique W. Morris, which addresses the educational, judicial and societal disparities facing Black girls in the U.S. education system. Showing the consequences of the double burden of racism and patriarchy, Pushout tells the stories of girls fighting for a fair chance in the institutions that are supposed to protect them. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Free, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, Black Potion, 1900 Fredericksburg Road, Suite 101, empowerhousesa.org.
ÒLÀJÚ AFRICAN MARKET FESTIVAL
The seventh annual African Market Festival hosted by Òlàjú Arts Group is returning to Brick with a marketplace, performances, a fashion show and an art exhibit. Conceived in Nigeria and founded in Texas, the group launched the festival as a space to present art, food, fashion and culture for Africans and by Africans, although it is open to all. Uchennaya Ogba, co-founder of San Antonio-based EHCÜ Public Relations, will serve as master of ceremonies. $25, 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, Brick at Blue Star, 108 Blue Star, african-market.olajuartgroup.org.
DREAMING OF HAUTE
This event benefiting LGBTQ+ nonprofit Fiesta Youth combines three fashion shows across three hours under one roof, bringing together South Texas clothing designers, hair and makeup artists and fashion businesses. The 18-and-up plus show is organized by Carrie von Loudon, Crystal Combs and Richie Combs. $45-$95, 3-6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, Bonham Exchange, 411 Bonham St., dreamingofhaute.eventbrite.com.
WE BELONG IN SAN ANTONIO: A DREAMWEEK POETRY DECLARATION
Sponsored by the office of San Antonio’s Immigration Liaison, CIELO Unity in Action, the Arab American Community Network and the Alamo Chapter for Human Rights, DreamWeek Poetry Declaration will host writers, orators, dancers and singers from the Alamo City and beyond as they present works in multiple languages. The show conveys a story of hope, resilience and prosperity. Free, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, 723 S. Brazos St., (210) 271-3151, guadalupeculturalarts.org.
A CELEBRATION OF MLK FOR DREAM WEEK
The San Antonio Philharmonic — formed after the San Antonio Symphony’s dissolution last year — will bring a contribution of live classical music to DreamWeek. The orchestra, overseen by guest conductor Charles Floyd, will perform a selection of spirituals arranged by Floyd, along with Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man and the first movement of William Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1, “Afro-American.” Featured bass-baritone Timothy Jones of Houston will also bring his decades of vocal experience to the show. $45-$65, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 and Saturday, Jan. 28, First Baptist Church of San Antonio, 515 McCullough Ave., (210) 201-6006, saphil.org.
