Photo courtesy of Texas AFL-CIO
Texas AFT, along with the Texas AFL-CIO, SEIU Texas, the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation (GCALF), CWA District 6, and UNITE HERE Local 23, hosted a Working Families Rally in downtown Houston on March 4. The rally featured many speakers from elected officials to labor leaders, but the keynote speech was given by Rep. Gina Hinojosa, who won her primary election to become the Democratic nominee for Texas Governor the day before.
Turnout for the rally exceeded 200. The speaker line-up was as follows:
- Hany Khalil, Texas GCALF Executive Director
- Nikki Cowart, Cy-Fair AFT President
- Leonard Aguilar, Texas AFL-CIO President
- Elsa Flores, SEIU Texas President
- Evelyn DeJesus, National President of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement, and Executive Vice President of AFT National.
- UNITE HERE Local 23 members
- Nafi Diop, CWA
- Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons, HD-146
- Jackie Anderson, Houston Federation of Teachers President
- Zeph Capo, Texas AFT President
- Rep. Gina Hinojosa, HD-49 and Texas Gubernatorial candidate
The theme of the rally was to unite for labor rights and make working families the central focus for the 2026 midterm elections.
(Photo credit: Marco Guajardo)
“I want to flip us from a right-to-get-fired state to a union state” – Rep. Lauren Ashley Simmons
(Photo credit: Marco Guajardo)
“No one is asking for hand-outs here. We’re asking – we’re DEMANDING – what we’ve already paid for … because Texas, we are a world economic powerhouse. And it is the people of Texas, the people in this room, that have built that power.” – Rep. Gina Hinojosa
This rally was an affirmation of what working Texans already know: Gina Hinojosa has championed working people throughout her entire career and will work tirelessly to defend and expand labor rights when she’s in the Governor’s mansion. With her nomination secured, she and our movement can focus our efforts over the next eight months towards getting her elected in November.