Lone Star Labor: Statewide Listening Tour Report

We just released our report on our Statewide Listening Tour! 

While workers are unionizing now more than ever and union popularity is at a 60-year high, that’s not translating to electing more Texas lawmakers who are willing to put workers ahead of their billionaire donors. Instead, we’re facing some of the toughest fights we’ve ever faced.

That’s why we hit the road last year to hear directly from Texas union members about what the future of the Texas labor movement should look like, what our values should be, and what members want from their state elected officials. 

We held 11 Labor Town Halls with 613 in-person attendees, heard more than 140 questions, and travelled 4,589 miles — and we learned a lot! Our key takeaways from Texas union members include: 

1. We must organize. 

As a Texas labor movement, our members want us to invest in organizing at all levels. If we’re not organizing, we’re dying.

2. We must focus on workers’ issues.

To elect more Texas lawmakers who are willing to put workers ahead of their billionaire donors, we need to unite Texas workers. In order to do that this electoral cycle, we’ll be focusing on the top issues facing our families: 

• Tackling affordability, jobs, and wages 
• Fully-funding public education 
• Lowering healthcare costs 
• Protecting retirement benefits 

3. We must change how we fight at the ballot box and beyond.

Our members are under greater threat from corrupt politicians and billionaires than ever before. But the thing is, our fight isn’t Democrats vs. Republicans. It’s workers vs. billionaires, and we know which side we’re on. 

We’ve got lots of plans to come. Thank you to every union member who participated in this Statewide Listening Tour. Our work is only beginning! See you on the road.

AS GOES TEXAS LABOR…

🏆 Austin: AGMA and Ballet Austin Reach First Collective Bargaining Agreement — AGMA, featuring American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) members and National Organizing Director Griff Braun

Austin: Austin ISD community grapples with the possibility of district being under state control — KUT Austin, featuring Education Austin President Ken Zarifis

Corpus Christi: Abbott visits Corpus Christi to push education policies, faces local teacher concerns — KIII, featuring Corpus Christi American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Nancy Vera

North Texas: A union of unions: Revitalizing labor councils — Convergence Magazine, featuring North Texas Area Labor Federation Interim President Tevita Uhatafe

San Marcos: How Texas State University punished a student for protesting white supremacy — CounterPunch, featuring Texas State Employees Union (TSEU-CWA Local 6186)

Statewide: Beyond Tesla: These Texas companies have wide CEO-worker pay gaps —- Austin American-Statesman, featuring the AFL-CIO and Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 6 Organizing Coordinator Seth Hutchinson

NEWS TO USE

AFL-CIO report shows top CEOs made 312 times workers’ pay in 2025 — Black Press USA

Teens have always been on the front lines of the labor movement — Teen Vogue

The Trump Administration has been spying on labor unions — Jacobin

🤖 AI & TECH NEWS BITE

AI fired a San Francisco store employee. Will California crack down on ‘robobosses’? — San Francisco Chronicle

“Employers are devastating workers’ livelihoods and taking no responsibility for the callous decisions of this unchecked technology,” said California Federation of Labor Unions President Lorena Gonzalez. “This is unacceptable. We need stronger guardrails to make sure there is human review and oversight of any decision made by a machine that impacts a worker’s job and paycheck.”

TEXAS LABOR FAMILY NEWS

🏃 ON THE MOVE

International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 31 (Houston) just hit a milestone of 700 members. 

🎂 UNION BIRTHDAYS

Happy birthday to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), which celebrates 94 years this week. 

SOLIDARITY CORNER: EVENTS & ACTIONS

🚨 TAKE ACTION

MAKE A CALL: Protect Workers from Extreme Heat
Working in extreme heat, both inside and outside, makes workers vulnerable to heat-related illness and even death. Tell Congress to protect workers from heat—and not block heat safety protections. Dial 844-937-2517 or fill out the form to make a call. 

UPVOTE: Tell Microsoft to Stop the Cycle of Layoffs
Take action to stop illegal layoffs at Microsoft/Xbox! Click the link, sign into your Windows account (or create a free one if you need to), and click the up arrow under the post. Upvote here.

DONATE: Support the Texas AFL-CIO Scholarship Fund
The 23rd annual Texas AFL-CIO • Walter Umphrey Golf Tournament Fundraiser is rapidly approaching, and we need to increase our sponsorship donations to stay on track. Can your union or organization commit to a sponsorship today?  

📆 EVENTS THIS WEEK

Saturday, Aug. 22 in San Antonio: ✊ Northside AFT Community Conversations on Public Education
Join Northside AFT to learn and ask questions about public school funding, the state of San Antonio schools, and school safety. Details. 

Tuesday, Aug. 25 in Dallas: ✊ Alliance AFT's OrganizED - All In for November
Join Alliance/AFT to discuss how public school educators can shape their own future by showing up this November. When educators organize together, we can win big for Texas public schools. Details.

Wednesday, Aug. 26 online: 👩🏻‍🏫 AFL-CIO Training: Know Your Rights and Plan to Protect Union Spaces
This just-in-time webinar was developed to provide unions with the information they need to prepare for the escalation in attacks on those working to organize, educate and engage working people in our democracy. Details.

Thursday, Aug. 27 in Austin: ✊ NNU's Palantir Out Day of Action
National Nurses United (NNU), patients, and community allies are mobilizing to demand hospitals, elected officials, and our government immediately cut ties with tech giant Palantir. Details.

Tuesday, Sep. 1 online: 💻 Virtual Town Hall: Your Union Needs You! Texas Labor Votes 2026 Statewide Kickoff
It’s going to take all of us to elect pro-worker candidates across the Lone Star State. Join us for Texas Labor Votes 2026 statewide kickoff meeting! Details. 

See Labor Day Events and all upcoming Texas labor events here.

📝 APPLICATIONS & PROGRAMS

North Texas: Texas Construction Career Pathways is taking applications for their next DFW Apprenticeship Readiness Program. The deadline is Aug. 31. Details.

💪 TEXAS UNION STAFF JOBS

• Texas Labor Representative (Bryan / College Station) — National Nurses United (NNU)
• Political Director (Houston) — Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation
• Campaign Field Coordinator – Political and Field Mobilization Hub (Western Region) — AFL-CIO

📸 PHOTO OF THE WEEK

This week in Austin and Richardson, union game developers rallied for a fair contract! While workers have developed games like DOOM, Fallout, and Call of Duty, Microsoft is choosing corporate profits over people. 

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