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Texas AFL-CIO Takes Next Step to Expand Union Participation in Citizenship Drives

Texas AFL-CIO

In January, delegates to the Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention unanimously approved a far-reaching resolution calling for the state federation and affiliates to conduct citizenship drives across the state, with the long-term intent of registering new voters and changing the political environment.

On April 10, in a strategy meeting attended by union affiliates from across the state, the Texas AFL-CIO took the next step to fulfill the goals of that resolution.

We were honored to welcome as a major participant Esther Lopez, international secretary-treasurer of the United Food and Commercial Workers, whose union has done pioneering work on citizenship drives. Lopez described the initiative as “the throwdown in Texas.”

Rather than taking a “go big or go home” approach, Lopez said, unions need to “go deep” and commit to making citizenship drives “core union work” that goes hand in hand with organizing and political education. She said UFCW has done citizenship drives in big cities, but also in places such as Marshalltown,...

"The teachers are still working — they're participating in this walkout and they're still supporting their kids."

"I see more of an interest in voting. I'm seeing more of an interest in young black people voting especially."

As automation disrupts the labor market and good middle-class jobs disappear, schools are struggling to equip students with future-proof skills.