We wish all Texas AFT members a restful Labor Day weekend. Our offices will be closed Monday, Sept. 5, in honor of the holiday. But for now, we’ll share some updates that show the true power of organized labor.
As our friends at the Texas AFL-CIO like to say, enjoy your weekend — we fought for it.
Texas AFT Local Unions & Members Win Respect in Their Paychecks Statewide
As educators and union members, we know the power of solidarity. In 2022, we have shown it too.
This spring, we released a report with Every Texan on the bleak state of Texas educator and school employee wages and overall funding for public education. That report showed that statewide pay for teachers had declined by an average of 4% since 2010 when adjusted for inflation, and many support staff make wages close to federal poverty thresholds.
District by district, the situation was slightly different, with some educators seeing double-digit drops in their salaries when adjusted for inflation. Texas AFT local unions and Associate Membership Program members took that research, shared their stories, showed up at school board meetings, and, in many cases, won significant pay increases, stipends, and improvements to their working conditions.
We’ve compiled these victories — from a $4,000 raise for certified staff in Brownsville to a 6% raise for teachers and support staff in Socorro — in an interactive map. The map also shows just how badly these wins were needed in many districts.
In honor of Labor Day, we encourage you to check out the map and appreciate the power of organizing and raising our voices together to win respect — including in our paychecks.
