Barbed Wired Blog

Latest Blog Posts

2020 Texas AFL-CIO Year In Review

Even a Bad Year Has Some Points of Light, But End of 2020 Will Be Fond Farewell.

Texas Workers Need Enforceable Standards; Anything Less Is a Charade

Gov. Greg Abbott should revise Texas's ill-considered, inconsistent, and largely unenforceable rules for reopening the economy.

The Basics: Texas Primary Elections

In Texas, the two major political parties – Democratic and Republican – hold primary elections to decide who will represent them on Election Day in November. The November “General Election” decides who gets to hold office.

Austin Print Shop Newly Organizes With Teamsters

An Austin printer has been newly certified for the Texas Allied Printing Trades list. Brother Frank Monreal, President of the Council and Executive Vice President of the Graphic Communications Conference of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, reports working people at Horizon Printing have joined Local 4535m of the union.

The Basics: 'Union Bugs' in Politics

A union bug is a distinctive label, mark or emblem that tells us union-represented working people have manufactured a quality product. Printers have used them at least since 1891.

Two Join Texas AFL-CIO Staff As Fellows

The Texas AFL-CIO welcomes two "Fellows" who will work with us in the coming months to build power for working families.
 
Ben Nakhaima is working with us in collaboration with the Blue Leadership Collaborative, which trains talented Texans to be campaign managers in the 2020 cycle and beyond.

Congratulations to Zeph Capo on First Day at Work as Texas AFT President

Congratulations to Zeph Capo, who was recently elected President of the Texas American Federation of Teachers at the union's convention. Capo began work at the union yesterday.

Capo developed a legacy of activism as President of the Houston Federation of Teachers. We look forward to working with Brother Capo and, as always, with the union that sets an amazing leadership standard for the state federation's education policy.

Plumbers in Texas Score a Significant Win

Plumbers in Texas scored a significant win today when a bill written to dissolve the board regulating licensing of workers in the trade was amended to postpone the effective date for two years.

Texas AFL-CIO Makes Statement of Solidarity With Locked-Out USW Members at Dow Chemical Plant in Deer Park

Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy and Secretary-Treasurer Montserrat Garibay published the following open letter in support of locked-out United Steelworkers families in Deer Park.

The union continues to hold strong:

May 6, 2019 

To Whom It May Concern:

On behalf of the Texas AFL-CIO, we call on Dow Chemical and its subsidiaries at its Deer Park plant to return to the negotiating table and work in good faith with United Steelworkers Local 13-1 toward a fair contract.

ULLCO Opposes Three Bills Impacting Workers in the Port Houston

The United Labor Legislative Committee today OPPOSED three bills addressing regulation of ship pilots and the movement of container ships that could have a major impact on working people in the Port of Houston. The Seafarers Union and International Longshoremen’s Association strongly oppose the pilot bills but have said they can support a fair compromise on ship traffic that would benefit all stakeholders.