The following is a statement from Tempestt McHenry, Staff Union Co-President of Texas Organizing Project (TOP) located in Dallas County, on the organization’s observance of Labor Day this year:
“Make no mistake, it’s the ever-growing vibrancy of our labor movement that helps hold our country’s democracy together while driving its economic prosperity.
“This resurgence of organized labor we’re seeing is putting unprecedented pressure on wealthy mega-corporations and the political establishment to challenge racial capitalism and address equity and justice in ways they have not prior. It’s laying the groundwork for better wages, labor rights, worker protections, and a social safety net — which historically have provided many in our nation, particularly Black and Latino Americans, with an added sense of economic stability and security for generations.
“Now in TOP’s third year as a unionized workplace, we as an organization recognize unapologetically that workers’ rights are human rights. This assertion has and will continue to connect right to the soul of our year-round community organizing and electoral engagement work.”
Shyda Blake, TOP Staff Union Co-President based in Harris County, added:
“As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. famously stated, “All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.”
“At a volatile political time, when implementation of Donald Trump’s Project 2025 is not a distant possibility, we as workers will not have our voices silenced while our fundamental rights are stripped away.
“The millions of Black and Latino Texas workers who proudly reside in this state have the opportunity to flex the collective power required to create a future where ALL Texans can live free and thrive — regardless of our race, faith, gender, or preferred language. THAT is a future we are fighting for, because as proud workers, we are stronger together.”
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About Texas Organizing Project:
TOP organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.