Date: 202105
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZHU.ARTCC, TX
Aircraft: Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Flight phase: Descent
Airspace: Class E ZHU
ATC / advisory: Center ZHU
Reporter function: Enroute
Reporter qualification: Air Traffic Control Fully Certified
Human factors: Communication Breakdown
Anomaly: ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Track / Heading All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Inflight Event / Encounter Weather / Turbulence
Detector: Person Air Traffic Control
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Separated Traffic
Contributing factors: Environment - Non Weather Related; Airspace Structure; Human Factors; Procedure
Primary problem: Environment - Non Weather Related

Narrative: I was working the Eagle Lake sector. Our area was getting all of the west arrivals as well as our normal arrivals due to weather. I had been coordinating with Houston Approach as to what was working best for them in terms of arrivals and how they wanted them situated since we could not get in on a normal flow. We had worked out BELLR intersection for both IAH arrivals and HOU arrivals. We were crossing HOU arrivals at 11;000 feet and IAH arrivals at 12;000 feet. After a few had made it in Houston Approach called and indicated that they did not want the aircraft stacked and wanted everyone in trail. He had also indicated that all of the aircraft were deviating upon check in with him. At this point I told him I would take care of it.Because of the weather building and starting to slowly close in I shut our corner post off. We had about 15 inbound and in terms of safety and using my best judgment I thought it would be smoother and safer if we took everyone to the southeast corner post. After I had made the decision and told the supervisor this is when the issue really began. The Supervisor; along with TMU (Traffic Management Unit) did not like this plan. They specifically told us to continue pushing these aircraft through the weather because it 'Wasn't bad enough yet'. That is a complete and utter lack of regard for safety. The mentality at Houston Center is to push aircraft through as much weather as humanly possible until a pilot decides they physically cannot make it happen. This has been the mentality for years and needs to be corrected immediately. I cannot in good conscious work airplanes through an unsafe situation just because someone with a higher position than me thinks it's OK.Ultimately when I am on position the decision should be mine on what is safe and what isn't. I am the Controller talking to the pilots; getting PIREPs and watching the weather develop real time. No one in TMU is talking to airplanes real time. They do not know the flow of the sectors real time. Houston Center's TMU is ungodly bad. They have been for years. There is never a plan and the Controllers are the ones who suffer for it. This needs rectification immediately and needs to be taken to the top of the food chain. Its not a matter of if; but when something happens because of poor judgment on managements part. This needs to be taken very seriously. It has gone on this way for far too long.Management needs to listen to Controllers when they are being told something isn't working or something isn't safe. Yes; any Controller can make a bad plan work. That doesn't mean we necessarily should.This unsafe mentality of pushing aircraft to the limit through weather will result in a safety event and it needs to get fixed before that happens.




Synopsis: Houston Center Controller reported problems with unsafe practices involving a weather-related situation.