IAM Union, Texas labor bring nearly 150 together in Houston to put working people first
HOUSTON — Nearly 150 union members, labor leaders and allies gathered in Houston on Saturday for a Workers vs. Billionaires rally, bringing together unions from across Texas around a shared priority: electing candidates who support working people and advancing policies that improve their lives.
PHOTOS: Houston Workers vs. Billionaires: Rally & Block Walk
VIDEO: Workers Vs. Billionaires Rally: Houston Workers Deserve Better
Hosted by the IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers), Texas AFL-CIO, Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, and local unions, the event combined a morning rally with neighborhood voter outreach. Participants gathered at the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation before heading into Houston communities to encourage voting and help residents learn about their choices in the upcoming elections.
The rally emphasized that Houston workers deserve better – fair wages, secure retirement, strong workplace protections, and the freedom to organize. Speakers connected those priorities to decisions made by elected officials and the importance of ensuring workers have a voice in shaping public policy.
“Houston works because working people make it work,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Working people are putting in the hours, doing everything we’re supposed to do — and too many families are still struggling to get ahead. Meanwhile, billionaires and huge corporations are doing just fine.”
Attendees also heard from political candidates and elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee (TX-18), Texas Sen. Carol Alvarado (SD 6), Texas Reps. Mary Ann Perez (HD 144) and Lauren A. Simmons (HD 146), Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin, Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia, Texas House District 138 candidate Tyler Smith and Harris County Judge candidate Letitia Plummer. The discussion focused on policies affecting working families and the importance of workers having a voice in decisions made in government.
The event brought members of different unions together to challenge corporate power and the growing influence of billionaires in elections. Their shared message was that working people need a government responsive to their concerns and an economy that rewards the people whose labor keeps communities running.
IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes, who began her union career at IAM Local 2198 in Houston, spoke about her own experience with discriminatory immigration enforcement and the importance of standing together.
“The status of workers cannot be used to divide or hurt our members or their families,” said Cervantes. “It doesn’t matter where you were born. If you get up in the morning and go to work, you are a worker. And workers deserve better.”
“What happens outside the bargaining table matters, too. Because the people we elect make decisions that affect our jobs, our rights and our contracts,” said IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President Richie Johnsen. “Working people deserve a voice in the decisions that affect them.”
“We need leaders who will protect good union jobs in the railroad industry. Leaders who will put safety ahead of stock buybacks,” said TCU/IAM National President Matt Hollis. “Leaders who will make sure no merger goes through without real protections for the workers who run these railroads.”
The gathering also demonstrated the strength of Texas labor when unions work together across workplaces and industries. Participants united around concerns that extend beyond any one bargaining table, including rising living costs, job security and policies affecting workers and their families.
“We should be able to do more than just get by. Texas workers need leaders who are serious about providing real solutions to make it possible for us to get ahead,” said Texas AFL-CIO President Leonard Aguilar. “We know that political parties won’t save us, but each of us with our union movement can. We have the power to elect pro-worker candidates up and down the ballot across the state. And as goes Texas, so goes the country.”
“Texas is a battleground state in every sense of the word. We are ground zero for the fight for pro-worker policies, and we have a real chance to change our state this election,” said Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, Executive Director Hany Khalil.
Following the rally and block walk training, attendees took the conversation into Houston neighborhoods. Volunteers encouraged residents to participate in the upcoming elections and shared information about candidates and the issues affecting working families.
“No one is coming to save us. We’ve always had to save ourselves, so that’s what we’ll do. When we elect champions like James Talarico, Gina Hinojosa, and our incredible labor-endorsed candidates up and down the ballot, we will take this state from the billionaires and return it to the people,” said Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation Organizing Director, AFL-CIO Linda Morales.
The Houston event was part of the IAM Union’s Workers vs. Billionaires campaign, a coordinated series of mobilization efforts leading up to the 2026 midterm elections. By bringing unions together and reaching voters directly, participants carried the rally’s message into the community: working people deserve a future in which their jobs, families and voices come first.
IAM members also serve on the committee for the Houston Workers Deserve Better campaign, joining workers and community allies to advocate for fair wages, safe workplaces, predictable schedules, and respect on the job.
View the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation's full list of endorsements here.
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The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries. Learn more at goIAM.org | @IAM_Union
The Texas AFL-CIO (American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) is the state labor federation consisting of more than 250,000 affiliated union members and advocates for working people in Texas. Learn more at texasaflcio.org
The Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO unites the power of 95 unions and 60,000 union members to advocate for working families in 13 Houston-area counties. The unions that compose our labor council represent workers in the public sector, manufacturing, the building and construction trades, the transportation of people and goods, and the hospitality and other service industries. Learn more at gcaflcio.org