This newsletter is a 6.5-minute read.

And now, here's your weekly Texas labor update:

Congratulations to International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Texas State Council President Taylor Rehmet, who won the Texas Senate District 9 runoff election on Saturday, Jan. 31.

Taylor is the first rank-and-file union member to ever be elected to the Texas Senate.

Both Republicans and Democrats are trying to figure out what Taylor’s victory means for the November mid-term election.

But our labor movement knows the truth — that the best way to ensure our elected officials fight for Texas workers is to elect union members to office. The labor movement showed up for our union brother by coming together to dedicate time, money, and effort — ensuring every conversation we had in SD 9 turned into real votes.

If we keep working for our labor-backed candidates and use our organizing infrastructure to sustain this momentum, we can win big for Texas workers.

TAYLOR WON. SO WHO'S NEXT?

There are currently 16 Texas AFL-CIO endorsed candidates on the March primary ballot who were union members before they ever decided to run for office.

Follow them and see the list on these social media platforms: Facebook | Twitter | Bluesky | Instagram

• Lieutenant Governor: Marcos Vélez (D), Assistant Director of USW District 13

• Commissioner of General Land Office: Jose Loya (D), Staff representative for USW District 13, Veterans of Steel Coordinator

• Texas Supreme Court, Place 1: Maggie Ellis (D), Member of AFSCME 1624 and TSEU (CWA 6186)

• Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9: Holly Taylor (D), Member of AFSCME Texas Retiree Chapter 12

• U.S. House, District 19 (Lubbock): Kyle Rable (D), Member of TSEU (CWA 6186)

• U.S. House, District 27: Tanya Lloyd (D), Member of Texas AFT

• Texas Senate, District 9: Taylor Rehmet (D), President of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Texas State Council

• Texas House, District 28 (Richmond): Sandy Ibanez (D), Member of Fort Bend AFT

• Texas House, District 47 (Austin): Pooja Sethi (D), Member of TSEU (CWA 6186)

• Texas House, District 49 (Austin): Montserrat Garibay (D), Former Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer; Member of Education Austin

• Texas House, District 50 (Austin): Jeremy Hendricks (D), Assistant Business Manager, SWLDC, LIUNA

• Texas House, District 70: Mihaela Plesa (D), Member of TSEU (CWA 6186)

• Texas House, District 120 (San Antonio): Jordan Brown (D), Member of Northside AFT

• Texas House, District 125 (San Antonio): Adrian Reyna (D), Member of San Antonio Alliance

• Texas House, District 142 (Houston): Danyahel (Danny) Norris (D), Member of AFSCME HOPE 123

• Texas House, District 146 (Houston): Lauren Ashley Simmons (D), Member of TSEU (CWA 6186) & CWA 1180

Looking beyond 2026, we need to develop a deep bench of union-member candidates. If you’re considering running for office, fill out the Texas AFL-CIO Labor Candidate School Interest Form. 

2026 COPE CONVENTION

Last week, we asked you to stay tuned for more COPE Convention content. Just in case the cold weather kept you away from Georgetown — or you want to relive the memories of that delightful weekend — check out our video playlist of all of our speakers!

Austin: City of Austin audit vote postponed, workers union weighs in — KXAN featuring AFSCME Local 1624

College Station: Fired after gender identity lesson, professor sues Texas A&M, arguing her free speech rights were violated — The Texas Tribune featuring American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and American Association of University Professors (AAUP) member Dr. Melissa McCoul, and AAUP Texas Conference President Brian Evans

Fort Worth: The Unusual Working-Class Message That Turned a Deep-Red District Blue — The New Republic, featuring IAM Texas State Council President and Senator-elect Taylor Rehmet

Houston: Union neither accepts nor rejects last Marathon offer on US refinery pact, sources say — Reuters ($) featuring USW

San Antonio: State crackdown on anti-ICE student walkouts stokes fear among teachers, districts — San Antonio Express-News featuring Northside American Federation of Teachers (Northside AFT) President Melina Espiritu-Azocar

Statewide: Texas Educators Urge Clear Guidance for Schools After Student Walkouts — Texas American Federation of Teachers (Texas AFT) featuring Texas AFT President Zeph Capo

Statewide: When Local Police Collaborate with ICE, Children Pay the Price — Texas Observer by former Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer and Education Austin member Montserrat Garibay

Unions Sue FEMA Over Work Force Cuts They Say Threaten Readiness — New York Times

Labor leaders blast Gavin Newsom over AI, demand more regulation — Politico

WNBA and players' union meet for 3 hours to try to push forward stalled CBA negotiations — KVUE

Striking Starbucks workers urge customers to delete coffee chain’s app — The Guardian

🏃 LABOR ON THE MOVE

Solidarity with the Blizzard Quality Assurance Workers in Austin, who overwhelmingly voted to ratify their first union contract with Microsoft. Represented by Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 6215, this three-year contract increases wages, job security, and provides AI guardrails.

Congratulations to the new members of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 716 (Houston)! 

Congratulations to the new members of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 848 (Grand Prairie)!

Solidarity with the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel, Local 67, who were out in the local community over the weekend, sharing Know Your Rights materials so neighbors can be prepared and keep each other safe!

💐 IN MEMORY

Arturo Corona Reyes, member of United Association (UA) Local 286 in Austin, passed away on Jan. 27.

Gary Francis DeFelippo passed away on Jan. 20 at the age of 68. Gary was the father of Angi DeFelippo, member of the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 178 (Fort Worth) and interim Mobilization Coordinator of the North Texas Area Labor Federation.

Maria L. Jimenez, a member of CWA for over 50 years who served three terms as Vice President of the AFL-CIO, passed away Jan. 5, at the age of 77. Her labor advocacy and dedication to a more just world will be dearly missed.

Catina Lorenzo Vega passed away suddenly on Jan. 23 at the age of 53. Catina was the wife of Jose Vega, a member of CWA Local 6210 (McKinney) and a Ruth Ellinger Leadership Academy alumnus. Donate to help Jose and his family cover funeral expenses here.

Our hearts go out to their friends and family.

🚨 TAKE ACTION

ADD YOUR NAME: Tell Hearst: Keep Texas news written by Texans! Hearst Media has bought up dozens of local newspapers across the state and now owns the four largest newspapers in Texas. We need to make sure that our local news and journalists’ jobs are protected! Take action here.

STAND WITH STARBUCKS WORKERS UNITED: Delete the Starbucks app, then add your name! Union baristas are calling on Starbucks customers to #DeleteTheApp to show Starbucks that you stand with baristas, not billion-dollar companies. Take action here.

📆 EVENTS THIS WEEK

TODAY virtually: Mapping 102 - Union Voter Density for Political Planning

Learn how to use Google Maps for political planning ahead of the 2026 midterm elections — for free and with widely available data. Details here.

Saturday, Feb. 7 in Houston: Texas A. Philip Randolph Institute Annual Black History Program

Join the Texas A. Philip Randolph Institute for their annual Black History Program: ‘YOUR VOICE SPEAKS – POWER OF THE PEOPLE.' Details here.

Tuesday, Feb. 10 virtually: New Messaging for Volunteer Recruitment

Learn about the latest research on what messaging actually activates union members and how to incorporate it into your volunteer recruitment. Details here.

Wednesday, Feb 11 virtually: Union Peacekeeper & Observer Training

Learn how to lift up the safety and effectiveness of nonviolent actions like marches or rallies, and how to de-escalate and document disruptions or enforcement activities. Details here.

Saturday, Feb. 14 in multiple locations: Labor of Love Union Blockwalks 

Save the date to help knock doors across the state for our Texas AFL-CIO endorsed slate! Details will be posted on our Mobilize.

Saturday, Feb. 21 in Cedar Creek: The Bigger Broader Bolder Bash

Join the Texas AFL-CIO for our inaugural Texas AFL-CIO Bigger Broader Bolder Bash to celebrate retired President Rick Levy’s years of commitment to the Texas labor movement! Details here.

See all upcoming Texas labor events here.

📝 APPLICATIONS & PROGRAMS

AFL-CIO Organizing Institute (OI) 3-Day Training Registration is now open! We are excited to announce that our upcoming OI 3-Day Training will take place March 11-13, 2026, in Austin, TX. Attendees will gain valuable tools for union organizing campaigns. Registration closes Feb. 18. Details and registration link.

Northeast Houston AFT leaders from Channelview ISD, Galena Park ISD, and Sheldon ISD came together at the Texas AFT Regional Leadership Conference to build connections and grow power for public education!

Photo via Northeast Houston AFT

Did you enjoy this newsletter? Let us know and submit photos, events, and other Texas labor news to [email protected]!

In Solidarity,

Team Texas AFL-CIO

Texas AFL-CIO

1106 Lavaca St

Austin, TX 78701

Visit us at: texasaflcio.org

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