Lone Star Labor: Union members hit the Texas Capitol

Texas union members across industries have been hitting the Capitol this session, making sure that workers’ voices are heard from our lawmakers. Just this week: 

• Donnie Jolly, president of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1338 (Dallas), will testify today against House Bill 3187 (HB 3187), which would gut funding for Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART). 
• Donny Mayo, business representative for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 66 (Houston), testified in support of Senate Bill 482 (SB 482), which would help protect utility workers on the job. The bill passed out of committee!
• Aloki Shah, president of Communication Workers of America (CWA) Local 6154, testified against Senate Bill 2446 (SB 2446), which would tie the hands of our local mental health authorities. The bill was left pending in committee.    
• Multiple union members and retirees testified in support of House Bill 886 (HB 886), which would give a 13th check to retirees under the Employees Retirement System (ERS). Some of them included: Jerome Wald, retiree and member of the Texas State Employees Union (TSEU) since 1987, Joan Barash, retiree and member of TSEU, and Richard “Rick” Farias, member of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Retirees Chapter 12. 
• And many more! 

We fight for a fair shot for Texas workers, and we expect our lawmakers to as well. Stay tuned for more legislative updates as we head into the tail end of session. 

AS GOES TEXAS LABOR…

Austin: Reactions after Texas House passes private school vouchers — KXAN, featuring Texas American Federation of Teachers (Texas AFT) President Zeph Capo

Houston: Houston-area Social Security offices, phone lines slammed as staffing dwindles amid Trump cuts — Houston Chronicle, featuring American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3184 President Joel Smith

Houston: Houston hospitality workers call for $23 minimum wage ahead of meeting with city leaders — KHOU, featuring UNITE HERE Local 23 Secretary-Treasurer William Gonzalez

Texarkana: Texarkana-area federal workers wary of union-busting Trump order — Texarkana Gazette ($) 

NEWS TO USE

Judge skeptical of Trump order to strip union rights from federal workers — Politico

CDC scraps plan to help Texas schools curb measles over layoffs, employee says — CBS News

Inside a union’s fight against Trump’s federal job cuts — The New York Times ($)

Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect, 2025 — AFL-CIO

TEXAS LABOR FAMILY NEWS

🏃 Labor on the Move

Eddie Hall is retiring as National President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) effective May 1. In accordance with BLET bylaws, First Vice President Mark Wallace will become National President, and VP Gary Best was elected First Vice President.

Jose Jimenez has joined the Texas AFL-CIO team as our new Rio Grande Valley Field Organizer. Jose most recently worked as an organizer for the San Antonio Alliance. Welcome, Jose! 

Nimrod Funk and Michael Buchanan, members of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 181 in Austin, recently retired. Congratulations on your years of service! 

💐 In Memory

Rex Pope, a member of UA Local 100, passed away on Apr. 17 at the age of 83. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Plumbers & Steamfitters UA Local Union 100 Scholarship Program.

SOLIDARITY CORNER: EVENTS & ACTIONS

🚨 Take Action

Call your Member of Congress and tell them to co-sponsor the Protect America’s Workforce Act, H.R.2550! Texas members who are already co-sponsors include Reps. Greg Casar (TX-35), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Al Green (TX-09), Julie Johnson (TX-32), and Marc Veasey (TX-33). Call your Member HERE.

Send an email to State Representatives and tell them to end the attacks on Texas construction workers! Texas lawmakers shouldn't be trying to take a tool out of our toolbox — leave Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) alone. Send your message HERE.

Donate to support legal representation for a member of International Rescue Committee Workers Unite Texas, Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 277 who was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and abruptly ripped away from their home, family, livelihood, and community.

Donate to the AFGE Federal Employee Defense Fund to fund legal action and other strategies to defend American public employees.

📆 Events

Friday, Apr. 25 in Florence: 9th Annual Chad Young Memorial Shoot

Hosted by United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 540, OPEIU Local 277, and International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 21, join the annual Shoot for a Cure benefitting March of Dimes. Details HERE.

Saturday, Apr. 26 in Houston: IUEC Local 31 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Mobile Welding Facility

Celebrate IUEC Local 31’s new mobile welding facility with a BBQ lunch. A National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) Fair will also take place. Details HERE.

Saturday, Apr. 26 in Waco: Hands Off Our Heroes, Save Our Civil Servants Rally

Join AFGE Local 1822 for a rally to oppose the Trump/Musk cuts to veterans’ care and defend VA workers! Details HERE.

Monday, Apr. 28: Workers Memorial Day

Each day, more than 340 workers are killed and more than 6,000 suffer injury and illness because of dangerous working conditions that are preventable. Together on this Workers Memorial Day, we fight for our lives and confront attacks on safety and health agencies that keep our workplaces safe. 

• Houston: Workers Memorial Day Vigil

Tuesday, Apr. 29 in El Paso: El Paso Labor Town Hall

Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy and Secretary-Treasurer Leonard Aguilar are hitting the road to hear from Texans about what the future of the Texas labor movement should look like. Details HERE.

Wednesday, Apr. 30: National Apprenticeship Day

A national day to showcase the success and value of Registered Apprenticeship programs, which develops a highly-skilled workforce to meet industry needs and creates pathways for career seekers to catapult into in-demand jobs. 

Wednesday, Apr. 30 virtually: Virtual Public Video Relay Service (VRS) Interpreter Town Hall

A town hall for Video Relay Service (VRS) interpreters to discuss deteriorating working conditions. Details HERE.

Thursday, May 1: May Day
May Day, also called Workers' Day or International Workers' Day, is the day that commemorates the struggles and gains made by workers and the labor movement across the world.

• Austin: May Day Strong Rally
• Dallas: May Day Indoor Picnic
• San Antonio: May Day Rally - The People Over Billionaires
• Other events

📝 Applications & Programs:

• 2025 Strategic Corporate Research Summer School for folks interested in working in the labor movement at the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations, applications due Thursday, May 1.
• Texas AFL-CIO Career-Building Scholarship for affiliated union members furthering their career, application due Friday, May 2.

🇺🇸 Federal Workers: Stay Informed

Trump’s attacks on federal workers are moving at a breakneck speed. If you’re an AFGE member or federal worker, you can stay up to date and get critical questions answered at AFGE’s new one stop shop: afge.org/AFGEStrong

⭐ Texas AFL-CIO 2025 Constitutional Convention: A Labor Movement as Big as Texas!

Registration is open for the Texas AFL-CIO 2025 Constitutional Convention, happening June 26-28 at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio Riverwalk. 

• Purchase your early registration tickets HERE.
• Sponsorship opportunities are available! Details HERE

📸 Photo of the Week

Hospitality workers with UNITE HERE Local 23 met with Houston city leaders on Wednesday to push for a minimum wage increase. Most hospitality workers in the Houston area currently earn about $16 to $17 an hour. They’re advocating for a $23 minimum wage for hotel, airport, and convention center workers. Solidarity, y’all! 

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