Our Agenda

Fully Fund Neighborhood Public Schools

Every day, our local public school teachers and support staff go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that our children receive the quality education they deserve. The pandemic shed a bright light on the sacrifices these educators and paraprofessionals must make in order to do their jobs. However, instead of providing more resources to these professional educations and support staff, the state has increased onerous requirements, leading to burn out and fewer teachers in our classrooms. The state must make increasing teacher and support staff pay a priority, while reconsidering the burdensome policies put in place in recent years.

Raise Better Wages and Expand Benefits

One job should be enough! To give every Texan who works hard a fair shot, the state needs to raise the minimum wage and public employee pay, end wage theft and worker misclassification, protect and improve public pensions, and make sure every Texan is covered by workers compensation insurance and benefits like health insurance coverage. To stop undermining wages, Texas also needs to end tax giveaways to corporations that ship Texas jobs overseas.

Improve Access to Health Care

Every Texas family should be able to see a doctor without fear of bankruptcy or overwhelming medical bills. The state should expand Medicaid, expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, expand access to earned paid sick days, and work toward universal access to health insurance coverage.

Expand Voting and Protect Democracy

Our democracy works best when everyone eligible to do so is able to participate. Every eligible Texas voter should be able to cast a ballot without impediment. The state should make voting more accessible through online and same-day voter registration, along with other measures that make it easier for every eligible Texan to cast a ballot.

Open Doors Wider to College and Apprenticeships

Student loan debt is hampering young Texans more than ever. Texas should increase funding for public colleges and universities with an eye toward reducing student financial burdens. The state should also help increase availability of registered union apprenticeships – a proven path to a lifelong career, great wages, and outstanding healthcare and pension benefits.

Provide Justice for Immigrant Workers

All workers should be protected – regardless of their immigration status. State laws should be in place that create a subclass of workers who cannot speak up out of fear of deportation.

Reform Our Criminal Justice System

A minor offense shouldn’t bankrupt a family or stop someone from getting a job, credit, or housing. Every day, Texans face daunting fines or even languish in jail because they cannot afford to settle simple traffic violations. The Texas labor movement is committed to working for an equal justice system that protects everyone’s liberty and safety.

Defend Reproductive Healthcare

Every woman should have the right to make her own healthcare decisions, including reproductive healthcare decisions, without politicians in Austin or Washington DC interfering. The Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization opinion will disproportionately impact low-income Texans, making access to abortion not only a healthcare issue, but also an economic one.

Address Climate Change Through Good Jobs

Climate change is a serious issue and one that Texas is well-positioned to be a leader in combating. Our state’s leaders should embrace this opportunity and support initiatives like those outlined by the Texas Climate Jobs Projects. Doing so would create 1.1 million high-paying jobs over the next 25 years by investing in geothermal power generation, hydrogen-fueled energy, offshore wind, solar generation, energy efficiency, and more.

Fight for a Future That Lifts All Texans

Technological advances are improving the lives of many Texans, but some companies are seeking to avoid basic employer obligations. The rampant misclassification of workers in the gig economy is cheating workers out of important benefits and workplace protections. The State of Texas should insist on protections for working families in our changing economy.