achievements
May 16, 2023
In a campaign led by Equity Action, our union helped collect 33,000 signatures to put the REAL Austin Police Oversight Act on the ballot and signed into law. The campaign overwhelmingly defeated an opposing ballot measure to weaken police oversight, which was staffed by a non-union firm.
March 5, 2023
The SAY Sí Union received voluntary recognition from Management. This was preceded by a NLRB pre-election hearing, concerning management's position on a large portion of the proposed unit. After a week-long hearing, all contested members were deemed appropriate.
SAY Sí is a non-profit youth arts organization that provides tuition free, long term, year around, multidisciplinary programming across San Antonio, Texas. Learn more HERE.
December 2022
Labor organizer turned city council member Greg Casar made his bid for United States Congress TX-35. UPO represented the workers in his March ’22 Democratic Primary and November ’22 General Election. This multi-unit contract included Field Organizers, Deputy Campaign Managers, Administrator and Communications in Austin, San Marcos, and San Antonio. Greg Casar won handily in both the Primary (61% of the vote) and went on to claim victory in the General Election (72%) on his platform of protecting abortion access, Medicare for All, and fixing Texas’s unreliable power grid. This contract secured $25/hr for Field Organizers, creating a new floor for UPO contracts.
September 20th, 2020
After a campaign led by UPO, the Travis County Democratic Party adopts a Labor Peace Agreement Policy. Thereafter cementing the rights of campaign workers for Democratic candidates to organize their workplaces.
January 28th, 2020
Congratulations to the workers at Austin Tenants Council for winning their union election, certifying UPO as their collective bargaining agent. We are looking forward to a productive bargaining process, and to our union family continuing to grow!
After being denied Voluntary Recognition but before the National Labor Relations Board certified their union election, ATC workers and UPO members rallied for their rights at a demonstration outside of the workplace on January 14th - an example of solidarity in action.
January 17th, 2020
Chris Bell for US Senate ratifies VOLUNTARY RECOGNITION certifying our union as the collective bargaining agent of his workers. Congratulations to the workers and we look forward to good-faith negotiations with his campaign toward a robust collective bargaining agreement!
January 15th, 2020
Congratulations to the workers at Mike Siegel for Congress - TX10 who have just ratified a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the campaign! This agreement provides for extremely strong compensation and benefits, and codifies workers' rights & duties. We would like to thank the Siegel campaign for their good-faith negotiation & ratification of a robust agreement, and for voluntarily recognizing the workers and the UPO for the second campaign cycle in a row.
January 13th, 2020
UPO Houston in collaboration with the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation hosted a historic event - the first in-person hiring hall event specifically for political campaigns to learn more about unionism and get staffed up. Good work to UPO Houston members for making the event a success and reaching out to many local and national campaigns that attended - including the campaign of Elizabeth Warren for President - and securing labor peace agreements with many.
November 22nd, 2019
Workers at Heidi Sloan for Congress - TX25 have achieved voluntary recognition and signed a Collective Bargaining Agreement! Congrats to the bargaining unit & the campaign on ratification!
June 5th, 2019
In another victory for UPO North Texas, Dallas City Council Candidate Erin Moore has voluntarily recognized the unionization of her campaign staff.
Commitment to organized labor at every level of government is a vital component of empowering the working class and building a durable base to worker and political power. With over a dozen campaigns organized across Texas so far, the United Professional Organizers continues to strive for a more just future.
March 31st, 2019
Two Round Rock candidates, Hilda Montgomery for City Council and Blane Conklin, have voluntarily recognized United Professional Organizers to represent their campaign staff.
Congratulations to the workers, and thank you to the candidates for their commitment to labor and good working conditions on campaigns of all sizes.
December 11th, 2018
Today is ELECTION DAY in Central TX Run-Offs! Our members are hard at work for Workers Defense Action Fund, Sabino "Pio" Renteria for Austin City Council, District 3, and both Mariana Salazar and Natasha Harper-Madison in Austin City Council District 1!
August 26th, 2018
Councilmember Sabino ‘Pio’ Renteria, of Austin’s 3rd District, became the latest in a growing number of local, progressive politicians to recognize a union of their campaign staff. Councilmember Renteria has long been a champion of labor rights and issues, even before his time on the dais began, and his voluntary recognition of his workers’ union demonstrates that he continues to walk it like he talks it. Now, Renteria and those workers will enter good faith negotiations toward the ratification of a collective bargaining agreement; the workers will be represented in those negotiations and in all other pertinent matters by the United Professional Organizers, a young upstart local union founded in Austin itself.
Members of UPO - North Texas have achieved recognition from the AFL-CIO! Good luck to the Dallas County and Tarrant County Neighborhood Field Teams!
August 24th, 2018
Congratulations to the workers on Austin Mayor Steve Adler's reelection campaign for achieving Union recognition! Solidarity and Happy Organizing
May 13th, 2018
UPO is proud to partner with the Chito Vela for TX-HD46 campaign!
May 1st, 2018
The United Professional Organizers to represent the workers on Julie Oliver for TX25!
On this May Day, as we recognize the incredible legacy of organized labor, we know we must continue pushing the movement forward. Today, Julie Oliver voluntarily recognized our union for the campaign staff. We are proud to stand together in the movement for organized labor, and the fight for decency and progressive values. Solidarity and thank you to our allies everywhere.
April 12th, 2018
We've unionized!
We came together as workers, and today Mike Siegel for TX10 has recognized the United Professional Organizers as a union to represent the campaign workers. Thanks to IBEWLocal520 and TexasAFLCIO for their support.
