Houston Mayor Annise Parker Makes Strong Statement About The Right Of Working People To Engage In Civil Disobedience In The Fight For Fair Wages

Yesterday I wrote that on the blog that Houston Mayor Annise Parker’s police were reportedly ticketing people who were honking their horns in support of striking janitors. I also said that Mayor Parker was no place to be found in support of these janitors as they fight for a living wage.

I’m glad to report that Mayor Parker made a strong statement today backing the janitors.

Beyond that, the Mayor also made a broader assertion about the rights of all working people.

(Above–Mayor Parker)

Here is what she said—

“I am calling on the contracting companies to go back to the negotiating table.  Their unwillingness to talk has left the union with no other choice but civil disobedience.  That is not good for the City of Houston or our economy and it is not how we do business in Houston.  We work hard, we work together and we treat each other fairly.  The union has made good-faith offers.  Now it’s time for the janitorial contractors to sit back down at the table to work out an agreement that is fair and just.”

Here is the Houston Chronicle report on the Mayor’s comments on the rights of working people.

The great Houston blog Dos Centavos has posted about Mayor Parker’s hopeful and constructive views.  

In her statement the Mayor not only backed the janitors, she also said that working people have the right to civil disobedience when confronted with the refusal of an employer to offer fair wages.

I’ve criticized Mayor Parker many times in recent years for her frequent appeals to so-called fiscal conservatives.

So it only seems fair to relate to the blog reading public the statement the Mayor made today about the inherent freedoms of all working people.

Let’s hope that Houston can count on more and even stronger support from Mayor Parker in the never-ending battle for decent wages and fair treatment for the hardworking people of our great city.