On Thursday, 129 staffers from gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke’s statewide campaign made history as the first Texas campaign to run with a union contract.
The Texas AFL-CIO tweeted a celebratory congratulations to the team on their contract through the Office and Professional Employees International Union.
According to an article by OPEIU, the contract requests overtime pay, a five-day work week, paid time off to vote early, severance pay, gas stipends, and a bonus if O’Rourke defeats the Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in November.
Additionally, the contract includes required safe working conditions, parental leave, protections for immigrant workers, and established arbitration and grievance procedures.
The President of OPEIU Local 277, Tyler Turner, released a statement supporting the campaign.
“We are incredibly excited to represent the staff of Beto for Texas,” Turner said. “Having a voice on the job is critical, and joining together to form a union remains the best way to accomplish that.”
Notably, the gubernatorial candidate has consistently supported unions and protecting workers’ rights. “Like Beto, we practice what we preach,” Rocio Durney, an organizer working with the campaign, said. “We want to send a message that every worker in this state should have the right to demand better wages, benefits, and working conditions.”
Kennedy is a recent graduate of the University of St.Thomas in Houston where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Celt Independent. Kennedy brings her experience of writing about social justice issues to the Texas Signal where she serves as our Political Reporter. She does everything from covering crime beats, Texas politics, and community activism. Kennedy is a passionate reporter, avid reader, coffee enthusiast, and loves to travel.
