Gus Bova
Again, Texas Republicans Fail to Gut Local Labor Protections
The win for worker advocates came unexpectedly—and may not last long.
In the waning hours of Texas’ 87th legislative session, House Democrats staged a walk-out to kill a sweeping Republican effort at voter suppression. Little-noticed in the moment, the dramatic move also nixed a top priority of the business lobby for … Read More
As Homeless Camping Drama Rages, Protestors Camp Outside Austin City Hall
“What they want is to push us back to where they don’t see us anymore.”
Samantha “Sunshine” Conley was homeless before Austin rolled back its citywide camping ban in 2019. She was homeless for the brief interim that the repeal lasted, and—if nothing changes soon—she’ll still be homeless when the police begin arresting the city’s … Read More
Texas Labor Organizer Montserrat Garibay Goes to Washington
As a Latina immigrant, Montserrat Garibay broke barriers in the Texas labor movement. Now she enters the national stage.
From the May/June 2021 issue Twenty-nine years ago, Montserrat Garibay left Mexico City for Texas with her mother and sister. They were undocumented. At a public middle school in Austin, Garibay learned English. Later, she and her sister founded one … Read More
In San Antonio, Police Reformers Square Off with the Cops’ Union
A proposal to end collective bargaining, on the ballot May 1, aims to spur police accountability in Texas’ second-largest city.
In the heat of last summer’s uprisings over the killing of George Floyd, a small group of San Antonians, with little experience in criminal justice reform, hatched a plan to turn protest into policy. They looked at their city, where … Read More
The Lege This Week: Who Cancels the Cancellers?
It just might be the Texas Legislature.
Welcome to the 87th Legislative Session. Since the last session came to a close in June 2019, Texas has been hit by an unrestrained pandemic and a crippling economic crisis—and now the fallout from deadly blackouts. Under unprecedented circumstances, lawmakers … Read More
‘Not Celebrating Yet’: South Texans Wait for Biden to Cancel Trump’s Wall
The president’s pause on wall construction leaves questions unanswered in Texas.
In an interview last August, Joe Biden made a pledge: “There will not be another foot of wall constructed in my administration.” It was the first time the then-presidential candidate made such a clear promise. On January 20, hours after … Read More
COVID-19’s Deadly Toll on Texas Workers
As COVID-19 devastates workers unable to stay home, families are left struggling for justice.
Graveyard Shift As COVID-19 devastates workers unable to stay home, families are left struggling for justice. By Gus Bova January 18, 2021 From the January/February 2021 issue. Isabelle Papadimitriou was finally a grandma. The baby girl, Lua, was born in … Read More
In San Antonio, a Fight over Public Housing Heats Up
The fate of the Alamo City’s oldest and largest public housing development is fueling a conflict between San Antonians with different visions for the future of the city’s West Side.
Update: On January 21, the board of the San Antonio Housing Authority announced dramatic changes to its plans for the Alazán-Apache Courts, including that the agency has cancelled its proposed partnership with the private developer NRP Group. As it proceeds … Read More
The Year Newspaper Unions Roared Back to Life in Texas
At the beginning of 2020, there were zero union papers in the Lone Star State. Soon, it seems, there will be three.
In mid-February, a coterie of newspaper higher-ups from around the country gathered at the Omni hotel in downtown Fort Worth for an affair ostentatiously called the Key Executives Mega-Conference. During one presentation, a Chicago-based employment attorney, Michael Rybicki, warned of … Read More