Texas AFL-CIO

THE VOICE OF LABOR IN TEXAS

We are teachers, firefighters and farm workers, actors and engineers, pilots and public employees, painters and plumbers, steelworkers and screenwriters, doctors and nurses, stagehands, electricians and more. We believe that people who work make Texas work and that together, we are better.

 

237,000+

460+

20,000+

Affiliated MembersAffiliates & LocalsActivists

 

What We Care About

Workplace Rights

We are at a moment when a fighting union organization could kindle the imagination of millions of workers and inspire a new labor movement.

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Support Working People’s Freedom!

Working people must come together to defend our rights and fight for a fair economy that works for everyone.

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Better Pay and Benefits

There is something fundamentally wrong with our economy. The rich keep getting richer while working people are working longer hours just to make ends meet. Despite year after year of increased productivity, we are not sharing in the fruits of our labor.
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Sign the Petition: Raise the Wage in Texas

The state minimum wage of $7.25 an hour condemns hundreds of thousands of working people to poverty, costs taxpayers and shuts out business customers. It is high time for Texas to join 29 other states in raising the minimum wage above a federal level that has become a victim of congressional gridlock after decades of bipartisan support for a decent wage floor.

Sign the Petition

Trade/Manufacturing

A strong manufacturing sector is essential to our nation’s economic success and to our ability to raise wages and provide family-supporting jobs. But decades of devastating trade policy and attacks on unions have taken their toll.

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NAFTA Needs to Work for Working People

Renegotiations of the failed North American Free Trade Agreement are underway and the recently released objectives are vague and unambitious. Sign the petition calling for a new NAFTA that prioritizes working people.

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Immigration

Since our nation’s founding, immigrants and refugees have enriched the fabric of our communities, our workforce and our labor movement.

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Pledge to Stand United

Pledge to oppose the "show me your papers" law, SB 4 - which will drive immigrant workers further into the shadows. Immigrants will be more afraid to speak up when employers manipulate and exploit them, which will drive down standards for all Texans. Working people are stronger when we stand together.

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Get Involved. We Need Your Voice

Every Texan who is willing to work hard and do their part deserves a fair shot to get ahead. 

It's time we hold politicians accountable and demand they stand up for policies that help working families.

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Labor 2018

We are building political power for working families

Join the Fight

Sign the 2018 Union Pledge

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Our Campaigns 

Featured Stories

Texas AFL-CIO: 'Out of Touch' Appeals Court Decision Strikes Down Paid Sick Leave Ordinance

Levy: "Today's ruling shows how out of touch the 3rdCourt is with what it means to work for a living."

Turning the Page: Workers at BookPeople Vote for Union Representation

Employees at BookPeople, an independent bookstore in Austin, voted today to speak up together through the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 277, setting a precedent for working families seeking better livelihoods in Texas.

Bills Good for Working People Outnumber Bad and Ugly on First Day of Pre-Filing

Pre-filing for the 86th regular session of the Texas Legislature began yesterday with a new, improved mix of the good, the bad and the ugly. 

Texas Changes Course in Banner Night For Working Families

Texas AFL-CIO: Candidates Won or Out-Performed Via Fair Shot Agenda

Recent News

With Its Primary Opponents Voted Out, What's Next For Labor Unions?

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with the president of the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka, about union strategies following the midterm elections.

MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:

Texas AFL-CIO Statement on U.S. Senate Result

Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy issued this statement on the reelection of incumbent Ted Cruz in the U.S. Senate contest in Texas:

 “Beto O’Rourke neared the mountaintop by standing up for all Texans who seek a Fair Shot at better lives. His magnificent campaign lit a spark that together with the deep organizing of labor and allied groups has launched a new political era in Texas. What Beto accomplished is only the beginning. We thank him and look forward to working alongside him for a better future for working families.”

Texas AFL-CIO Statement on Gubernatorial Result

Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy issued this statement on the reelection of incumbent Greg Abbott as Texas Governor:

Lupe Valdez campaigned courageously against enormous odds to post the best result for a Democratic candidate for Governor in a generation. She achieved that success by running as a champion of a Fair Shot agenda for working families. Lupe Valdez has one of the greatest hearts we have seen in Texas politics. We are proud of her campaign, but we are even prouder to call her a friend.

Texas AFL-CIO Statement on Victory by Colin Allred in CD 32

Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy issued this statement on the victory by U.S. Rep.-elect Colin Allred in Congressional District 32:

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David Lopez Jr. • IUEC Local 21

I fight to expand access to job training and registered apprenticeship programs.

Areli Zarate • Texas AFT 2048

Our union has kept me going. It has given me hope.

Paul Arebalo • IATSE 205

Being in a union means I have a voice. Whether it's regarding safety, pay or even work practices, my voice will be heard and that's one of the greatest rights I can think of.

Kristie Veit • CWA 6137

Being a union member is one of the most treasured privileges I have in my life. Working with and for a group of folks who want to promote and develope workers rights is an amazing experience.

Cheryl Eliano • AFGE District 10

The labor movement means solidarity.

Rebecca Stamm • AFSCME

Being a union member is one of the most treasured privileges I have in my life. Working with and for a group of folks who want to promote and develope workers rights is an amazing experience.

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Our Campaigns 

Register to Vote

Click here to register to vote, confirm your voter registration, or change your voting address. To vote in the 2018 election, you must register by October 9.

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A resource for union members and organizers.

Defend and Resist

A toolkit for organizers and advocates on workplace raids and audits.