Supporting Workers
Workers in Texas’s public and private sectors deserve fair wages, good health care and other benefits, and safe working conditions—and as a legislator, I will continue to advocate for these basic rights.
I will prioritize:
- Living wages, affordable health care, and competitive benefits for state employees
- Safer workplaces, including working to pass legislation aimed at restoring rest and water breaks for Texas construction workers
- Support for private sector businesses to provide sick leave
- Maintaining the ability for labor unions to use automatic payroll deduction
- Opposing the continued privatization of public services
Trusted. Tested. Tough.
As a City Council Member, I fought for working families and was recognized for my achievements with a “Champion for Working Families” award from the Workers Defense Project and an excellence award from the Hispanic Contractors Association. I’ve been a member of AFSCME (2011–2022) and TSEU (1992–96 and 2023–24) and in addition to supporting the actions and members of those unions, I’ve rallied, signed on to letters, or otherwise publicly supported Starbucks employees, Ascension Seton nurses, UNITE HERE!, the Taxi Drivers’ Union, and Zach Scott employees.
Here’s a glimpse at some other highlights:
- Co-sponsored Austin’s Paid Sick Leave (2018) and Fair Chance Hiring ordinances
- Strengthened wage, working conditions, and community benefit requirements for businesses receiving financial incentives through Chapter 380 agreement
- Led effort to end outsourcing of many types of City jobs and to convert contractors to city employees
- Created the Living Wage Task Force and co-sponsored successful proposals to increase the City’s living wage from $15 to $22/hour
- Supported creation of the City’s Municipal Civil Service system and collaborated with AFSCME to amend and pass MCS rules that supported employees
- Worked with AFSCME off the dais to support workers, ensuring safer working conditions for employees during the pandemic and working A/C in garbage trucks during the summer heat
- Introduced and passed a controversial revision of City’s non-discrimination policies and the creation of a third-party appeals process for discrimination, retaliation, and harassment cases
