It doesn\u2019t matter what union you\u2019re a member of, what town you grew up in, or whether you\u2019re black, brown, or white \u2014 if you work for a living, our Texas labor movement has your back. Just look at the events of this past week:\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\ufe0f\u20e3 In Texas City,\u00a0dozens of workers showed up last week<\/a> to walk the picket line with our\u00a0Texas City Metal Trades Council brothers and sisters at Ashland Specialty Chemicals (pictured above). It was a beautiful example of solidarity in action \u2014 giving workers the boost they needed to keep going and sending a strong message to company management. If you mess with one of us, you mess with all of us!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The 70 skilled workers there\u00a0just entered week two of their Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike<\/a> and continue to hold the line, but they need our continued support. This strike is about safety for both workers and the community.\u00a0Sign up for a shift NOW to join them on the picket line<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2\ufe0f\u20e3 In Austin, unions from all industries are sharing their solidarity publicly to support\u00a0Amalgamated Transit Workers (ATU) Local 1091. Keolis\/CapMetro workers\u00a0voted 99.5% to authorize a strike, if necessary, over stalling negotiations<\/a>. After hearing their calls for a fair contract, our movement responded in full force with posts from:\u00a0Austin Central Labor Council<\/a>,\u00a0AFSCME Local 1624<\/a>,\u00a0Austin Nurses United (NNU)<\/a>,\u00a0Central Texas Building Trades<\/a>,\u00a0CWA District 6<\/a>,\u00a0Education Austin<\/a>,\u00a0LIUNA Local 1095<\/a>,\u00a0OPEIU Local 277<\/a>,\u00a0Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council<\/a>, and more!\u00a0Keep up the solidarity by sharing your support on social media today.\u00a0<\/p>\n 3\ufe0f\u20e3 And in Houston,\u00a0unions are banding with the community<\/a> to demand answers in the fatal shooting of\u00a0Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an ICE operation in Houston\u2019s Magnolia Park neighborhood. Our labor movement insists on fairness, due process, and respect for the dignity of all workers, regardless of nationality or citizenship status.\u00a0We join together in solidarity because every worker deserves to come home safe at the end of the day.<\/p>\n Federal agents pursuing Trump\u2019s deportation agenda have repeatedly engaged in lawless and unconstitutional behavior. We call for ICE out of all communities and affirm our unwavering solidarity with immigrant communities of all backgrounds.\u00a0Join local unions for a community vigil to honor Lorenzo on Saturday<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our solidarity is our strength. Our solidarity is our superpower. We can build real power for Texas workers \u2014 but only if we fight together.<\/p>\n AS GOES TEXAS LABOR\u2026<\/p>\n Dallas:\u00a0Texas workers build strength together, organize with SMART Local 68<\/a> \u2014\u00a0SMART,\u00a0featuring\u00a0SMART Organizers Ralph Gomez, Yadriel Carrasquillo, and others<\/p>\n Lubbock:\u00a0Faculty groups sue to block Texas Tech rules limiting instruction on race, gender, sexual orientatio<\/a>n \u2014\u00a0The Texas Tribune, featuring the\u00a0Texas American Association of University Professors (AAUP-AFT)<\/p>\n San Antonio:\u00a0TPR and San Antonio Report join forces to make largest nonprofit newsroom San Antonio has ever seen<\/a> \u2014\u00a0San Antonio Report, featuring\u00a0Media Guild of the West\u00a0and Screen Actors Guild\u2013American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA)<\/p>\n Texas City:\u00a0Workers at Texas City Ashland plant hold line as strike enters second week<\/a> \u2014\u00a0Galveston County Daily News\u00a0featuring\u00a0various Texas City Metal Trades Council\u00a0members<\/p>\n Tyler:\u00a0UPS investigates safety concerns after Tyler driver collapses, union calls for change<\/a> \u2014\u00a0KETK featuring\u00a0Teamsters Local 767 President Dave Reeves<\/p>\n Statewide:\u00a0OPINION: Texas doesn’t have a Bible problem. It has a literacy problem<\/a> \u2014\u00a0Austin American-Statesman by\u00a0former Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer and Democratic nominee for Texas House District 49 Montserrat Garibay<\/p>\n Statewide:\u00a0Texas launches Classroom Commission to shape future of public education in the state<\/a> \u2014\u00a0KXAN, featuring\u00a0Education Austin President Ken Zarifis<\/p>\n Statewide:\u00a0Hundreds of Texas Teachers Were Investigated for Posting About Charlie Kirk. Here\u2019s What Happened Next.<\/a> \u2014\u00a0Texas Monthly, featuring\u00a0Texas American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Zeph Capo<\/p>\n NEWS TO USE<\/p>\n AI Leads US Job Cuts for Record 4th Month as Tech Claims 31% of H1 Layoffs<\/a> \u2014\u00a0Tech Times<\/p>\n How unions can save higher education\u2014and democracy<\/a> \u2014\u00a0The New Republic<\/p>\n DOGE is officially over. The debate over government cuts isn\u2019t.<\/a> \u2014\u00a0The Washington Post<\/p>\n \u2018Becoming a Plumber Completely Changed My Life\u2019<\/a> \u2014\u00a0The Cut<\/p>\n AI & TECH NEWS BITE\u00a0<\/p>\n AFL-CIO Worker-Centered AI Principle #7<\/a>: Model best practices for AI use with government procurement They also must engage with unions beforehand to protect jobs and vital services, enlist workers\u2019 experience in evaluating what works and what doesn\u2019t and overall, center humans in the work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n TEXAS LABOR FAMILY NEWS\ud83c\udfc3 ON THE MOVE<\/p>\n Brother\u00a0Diarmid Campbell, San Angelo-based\u00a0\u00a0International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 520 assistant business agent, successfully completed\u00a0Wayne State University\u2019s Labor School<\/a>!\u00a0Diarmid was a 2025 recipient of the\u00a0Texas AFL-CIO Career-Building Scholarship<\/a>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Texas Building and Construction Trades Council has launched an email newsletter!\u00a0Subscribe here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc90 IN MEMORY<\/p>\n Brother\u00a0John L. Defee<\/a>, a member of\u00a0United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 848 and a proud aviation hydraulic technician, passed away at the age of 79.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brother\u00a0Robert Hawkins<\/a>, a Texas Labor Hall of Fame member and jack of all trades, passed away on Jul. 8 at the age of 87. Over a career spanning more than five decades,\u00a0Robert held delegate and leadership positions in the\u00a0United Rubber Workers (URW), the\u00a0International Brotherhood of Bookbinders and Bindery Workers (IBB), the\u00a0International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE), the\u00a0International Association of Machinists (IAM), and the\u00a0United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA).\u00a0Texas Governor Ann Richards appointed\u00a0Robert to the Texas Workforce Investment Council, one of many appointments he garnered from six different Texas governors. He was inducted into the\u00a0Texas Labor Hall of Fame in 2011<\/a>.<\/p>\n Our hearts go out to their union families and all who loved them.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcdc THIS WEEK IN TEXAS LABOR HISTORY\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n On July 5, 1966, farm workers in Rio Grande City began a 380-mile march to the Texas Capitol to raise awareness of their struggle for a $1.25\/hour minimum wage and improved working conditions.\u00a0Learn more<\/a>.<\/p>\n SOLIDARITY CORNER: EVENTS & ACTIONS\ud83d\udea8 TAKE ACTION<\/p>\n ADD YOUR NAME:\u00a0Fair contract for the Fort Worth NewsGuild<\/a> ADD YOUR NAME:\u00a0Tell Harris Center: Give employees a raise & stop union busting<\/a> ADD YOUR NAME:\u00a0Stop the closure of FCI Big Spring<\/a> \ud83d\udcc6 EVENTS THIS WEEK<\/p>\n Friday, Jul. 10 in Texas City: \u270a\u00a0Picket with Texas City Metal Trades Council at Ashland Specialty Chemicals<\/a> Saturday, Jul. 11 in Houston: \ud83d\udd6f\ufe0f\u00a0Community Vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo<\/a> Monday, Jul. 13 online: \ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb\u200d\ud83c\udfeb\u00a0AFL-CIO Training: History of Voting Rights<\/a> See all upcoming Texas labor events here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcdd APPLICATIONS & PROGRAMS<\/p>\n Registration is NOW OPEN for the\u00a023rd annual Texas AFL-CIO \u2022 Walter Umphrey Golf Tournament<\/a>, which will take place on Oct. 1. This is one of our largest fundraisers of the year to support both our Texas AFL-CIO Scholarship Fund (tax-deductible) and Texas AFL-CIO Membership Education Fund.\u00a0Details & sponsorships.<\/a><\/p>\n Registration is NOW OPEN for the\u00a02026 Tradeswomen Build Nations (TWBN) conference<\/a>! This year\u2019s largest annual gathering of unionized tradeswomen in the world will be held in Houston from Oct. 9\u201311.\u00a0Details<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcaa TEXAS UNION STAFF JOBS\ud83d\udcf8\u00a0PHOTO OF THE WEEK<\/p>\n The North Texas Area Labor Federation\u00a0joined the Arlington Fourth of July parade<\/a> over the weekend to celebrate the union members who build America!<\/p>\n Photo courtesy Texas Alliance for Retired Americans (TARA)<\/p>\n Did you enjoy this newsletter? Sign up here to get it in your inbox!<\/a><\/p>\n
Public tax dollars should not be spent on purchasing AI systems that are unsafe, harm public sector workers, or reduce the quality of government services. Public agencies must set the gold standard for responsible AI use, and require that AI systems uphold the public interest and respect workers\u2019 rights, including transparency, privacy, intellectual property rights, and civil rights.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Union members at the\u00a0Fort Worth Star-Telegram have been bargaining for more than six months with McClatchy to obtain a fair contract, but have received unacceptable proposals on wages, AI, and successorship from the company. Stand with the\u00a0Fort Worth NewsGuild!\u00a0Take action<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Support\u00a0United Workers of Harris Center (UWHC – CWA Local 6154)\u00a0to call on the Harris Center to get the CEO\u2019s pay raise back, give employees a raise, and stop union busting!\u00a0Take action<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Support\u00a0American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3809! The clock is ticking on the economic future of Howard County. The Federal Bureau of Prisons\u2019 recent announcement that the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI\/FPC) Big Spring will permanently close by Mar. 31, 2027, is not a distant corporate restructuring\u2014it is an immediate economic emergency for our communities.\u00a0Take action.<\/a><\/p>\n
Workers at Ashland Specialty Chemicals in Texas City \u2014 represented by four unions with the\u00a0Texas City Metal Trades Council, AFL-CIO \u2014 are on an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike. Join them every Friday from 5:30 to 7:30pm.\u00a0Details<\/a>.<\/p>\n
SEIU Texas, the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation, and New Houston will come together with the community to remember beloved father\u00a0Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed during an ICE operation while on his way to work.\u00a0Details<\/a>.<\/p>\n
In this interactive training, we will look at the history of voting rights in the U.S. and discuss the relationship to today.\u00a0Details<\/a>.<\/p>\n