We, the staff of Texas Campaign for the Environment, along with our members, supporters, friends, and allies call on TCE’s Executive Director Robin Schneider and the TCE and TCE Fund Board of Directors to immediately and voluntarily recognize our staff union, the Texas Environmental Workers Union (TEWU), as we have proposed it.
On August 16, 2022, we publicly announced the formation of our union with 100% of frontline staff signed onto union cards and asked for voluntary recognition. For the past five months, Executive Director Robin Schneider and the Board of Directors have repeatedly refused to recognize our union as we have proposed it.
Instead, Robin and the Board have fought to exclude certain job titles from the bargaining unit in an attempt to shrink, weaken, and divide the union. In fact, Robin’s proposal would exclude 40% of the entire organization, designating almost half of employees as management. This is a deliberate attempt to undermine our collective labor power.
For years, TCE staff have faced poor working conditions with substandard pay and benefits, no job security, and an unsafe work environment. Due to a culture of toxic productivity, staff members at times have to work without pay, work while sick, and work shortly after a workplace injury. Even as staff are asked to work long hours and take on more campaigns, there is too often no clear plan to win.
As a result, staff are demoralized due to our wasted efforts and burnt out to the point of physical and mental exhaustion. The turnover rate is so high that it harms our ability to organize long-term campaigns and build meaningful relationships. While staff of color consistently leave the organization due to clearly expressed concerns with working conditions, especially as it relates to the canvassing model, the TCE Senior Leadership Team remains entirely white. Robin and the Board have not addressed this problem.
We all believe deeply in the vision and mission of our organization. We take seriously the threat of the climate crisis and the impact of pollution on community health. We desperately want to stop the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure along the Texas Gulf Coast, and we want to win. Unfortunately, TCE is not capable of that in its current form. We hope that by recognizing our union, Robin and the Board will finally put us back on a path to achieving the future for Texas we all believe in.
Signed,
Ana Trevino, Field Organizer, Corpus Christi
Armon Alex, Communications Associate, Corpus Christi
Brandon Marks, Regional Coordinator, Corpus Christi
Chelsea M Tobin, Canvass Director, Austin
Chloe Torres, Fossil Fuel Exports Organizer, Corpus Christi
Cody Benavides, Field Organizer, Corpus Christi
Cuauhtemoc Toren, Lead Organizer, Austin
Jenny Espino, Communications Coordinator, Corpus Christi
Jessica Palitza, Field Organizer, Corpus Christi
Katherine Hahn, Office Manager, Houston
Liz Lopez, Field Organizer, Austin
Olivia Heller, Development Coordinator, Austin
Sophie Vaught, Office Manager, Austin
Trevor Carroll, Fossil Fuel Exports Organizer, Houston
In Solidarity,
Aaron Acuna
Abraham Alazazi
Adam Turl, Locust Review
Addrian Jafaritabar
Adrian Vargas
Agripina Gómez, Sierra Club
AJ Holmes
AJ Lawrence
alek duncan, Hudson Bay
Alex Birnel
Alex Durden, Party for Socialism & Liberation
Alex spike, Air Alliance Houston
Alex Venchuk
Alexander spike, Socialist alternative Houston
Alexis Moidel
Ali Kirkpatrick
Alicia Dickens
Alicia segovia
Alison Mullan-Stout
Allan Babcock
Allison Zborowski
Alvaro Chaveste
Alyssa Burgin
Alyx barnes
Amador Salazar, San Antonio DSA
Amanda Hohenshil
Amanda Hope
Amanda Renfro
Amber England, Former TCE Canvasser
Amber Taylor
Amiyah
Amy Agee, Ex-TCE staff
Ana Gail Jumalon
anaïs peterson, earthworks
Ananda Sunshine Tomas, ACT 4 SA
Anastazia Vanisko, Former Hudson Bay Network canvasser, crosstrained with TCE
Andrea Lahana
Andrew Alemao
Andrew Alemao
Andrew Crittendon
Andrew Dobbs, TCE Alum, 2006 & 2010-2019
Andrew-Pól Clements
Angel Ulloa
Angela
Angela Elmer
Angi DeFelippo
Anil Kapoor
Anna Holdridge-Fletcher, Former Program Assistant in Houston
Annaliese Krumnow
Annette Kelley
Annie Fierro, Sunrise Movement Austin
Annie Foreman, The Good Neighbors
Anthony Floriani, American Federation of Teachers
Anthony Parker
Anthony Steve Paciorek, SOUL
Antonella
Antonia Kleen
April Siese
Ardian Shaholli, Former Community Organizer (June, 3 2019 - July, 18 2019)
Aris Katafygiotis
Armon Alex, Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit
Arturo Castillo
Ash Greco Ellis, Houston Tenants Union
Ash Yarbrough
Ashara Slagger
Ashley Cox
Ashley Hahn
Ashley Miller
Atlantis Johnson
Audrey Cravotta
Audrey Faye Gerard
Aurora Adams
Austen Ray McLean
Austin Lewellen
Autumn hensiek
Avena Enriquez
Beatriz Alvarado, Chispa TX
Becky Moeller, retired, representing myself; former President Texas AFL CIO, member CWA 6137
Ben Reynolds, Restaurant Workers United
Ben Suddaby
Bennett M, Houston DSA
Bess Wilhelms, HFT
Bethany Keeler
Betty Verbeke, Alumni
Bill Pernell
Blair Schaefer
Blake Vieira
Blanca Parkinson
Bobby Walker
Brandon Mifflin
Brandon Ponce
Brandyn Deason
Brent
Brent Sullivan
Brian Kane, Decade-long monthly Contributor, Former TCE Houston Staff Director, Former AFL-CIO Outreach director
Brian Terrell
Brianna Diliberti
Brigette Yawn, Previous Canvas Director
Brit Schulte, University of Texas at Austin; Texas State Employees Union
Brittney Price
Brooks Ledford
Bryan Kachakji
Brydan Summers, AFSCME Local 1624
Burger
C. Rose Andre
Caitlin Netek-Watson
Caleb Esquivel
Caleb Granger
Caleb Granger
Carleigh Mitchell
Carlos Cooper
Carlos E. Gonzalez
Carson Ruiz
Casey Handley
Cassady Keener, former TCE employee
cassandra ortiz
Catherine Freund
Ceirra Riley
Celina Barron
Cesar Izaguirre
Chane'l Radden
Charlie Clowdus
Chase Philip
Chau Ngo
Chavaun Ashwood
Chelsea Crawford, Former staff member
Chloe Diaz
Christian Anthony Barroso
Christian Esquivel
Christian Fogerty
Christian Trapp
Christie Johnson
Christopher Agbo
Christopher Huetteman
Christopher L. Phelan
Christopher Yardy, Ex-organizer, Field Manager and Canvass Director
Claire Ragusin
Clare Ciolli
Claude Cummings Jr., CWA District 6
Claudia Cruz
cody clack
Connor Yandell
Conor Rice
Corrie Howell
Cory Clark, UWIC-CWA
Courtney Cuff
Crystal Barberer Mahoney, Former community organizer at CCE
Crystal Maher
dalia mota
Danett Abbott-Wicker
Daniel I Caracheo, S.O.U.L. of MU & MPC (Workers Union for Michigan United and Michigan People's Campaign)
Daniel Uhlenberg
Danielle Ramirez
Danny Koningisor
Danny Timpona
Darren Nevares
Dave E., Houston DSA
Dave Smith, National Writers Union and Houston DSA
David Galvin
Dayna Reggero
Deandra Sanchez
Deb Armintor
Deborah Dillard, Turtle Island Restoration Network
Dee Silney-Bah
Diana Davis
Diane Aguirre—Dominguez
Dino Nguyen, For the Many
Donald Jackson
Donna Hoffman, City of Austin PARD - MACC & Elisabet Ney
Dora Burnett
Dorothy Peña, Indigenous Peoples of the Coastal Bend
Douglas Pierre
Douglas Van
Dr. David Michael Smith
Drew Hudson, 198 methods
Duane Wilson
Eduardo Canales, South Texas Human Rights Center
Eli McKay
Elida Castillo, Chispa Texas
Elizabeth Gostev, Citizen's Campaign for the Environment
Elle Ignatowski
Ellen Wilson
Ellis Howard
Emilio Vasquez
Emily Barrera
Emily Gammage
Emily Haddad, ILWU Local 6
Emily Johnson
Emily Munoz
Emily Scott Long, Clean Water Action Michigan (2014 - 2016)
Emily Trevino
Emma Guevara, Sierra Club
Emma Pabst, Sierra Club
Emma Skeels
Encarnacion Serna
Enrique Isaac Salinas, Houston DSA
Eric Guenther
Erica S
Erik
Erika Galindo
Ethan Beam
Evan Smith
Every Texan United
Ezra Taylor
Flor H.
Forrest Rapier
Frances Madeson
Francisco Barajas
Frank Freeman, Citizen
Gabby Ebertowski
Gabriel Bergmiller
Gabriela Mondragón
Gary Lynn Stuard, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE /Local 203)
Georgiann Tyrrell
Gina Biekman, Ally in an organization concerned with climate change
Gloria Acuna
Grace Espino
Grace Espino
Grace Sasser
Graciela Sills, UPO
Grant Nebbergall
Greg Bosley, TSEU-CWA 6186
Gregory Marks
Guadalupe Tristan
Guillermo Gallegos
Gus Breslauer , Houston Tenants Union, VES Union
Gwendolyn Jones
H.django sanders, U2C3
Hailey Duncan, Sierra Club
Haley Tobin
Hannah Betters
Hannah Kornblut
Hannah Mitchell
Hannah Rose
Hannah Spring, Previous CWA and OCA Staff Director
Hannah Visti
Harper Klamian, Austin DSA
Heidi Sloan
Henry Dang, Houston DSA
Hilary Haines, Stop TxDOT I-45
Holly Harris
Holly Lewis, Member of Editorial Board for Spectre (Journal)
Ian Druke, Houston Tenants Union
Ian Hoke, IWW
Ian Venegas
Indrani Maitra, Stop TxDOT I-45
Ingrid Korioth
Ira Dember, FairNow.org
Isaac Salinas, Houston DSA
Isabel Araiza, For the Greater Good
Isabella Guinigundo, OH Youth for Climate Justice
J R
Jack Reno Sweeney, Louisiana Bucket Brigade
Jackson Wong, Industrial Workers of the World, Bay Area Branch
Jade Hagan
Jake reeves
Jakob Barton
James Fletcher
James Hiatt
James Magown, Houston DSA
James Sargent
Jamie Pershing
Jane Bendewald, TEWU
Jane Mantey, Texas For All
Jasiel Lopez
Jasmin Bell
Jason Netek
Jason Smith, Former TCE Canvasser
Jay N
Jazz Hooks
Jeff Steinhaus
Jen Ramos, President, Jolt Staff Union
Jennie Hoefling
Jennifer Kl. Falcon, ikiyA collective
Jennifer Kolb, UWIC-CWA
Jennifer Melo
Jennifer Schlicht
Jeremy Gregg, Gregg Partners
Jeremy Melendez
Jess Rodriguez Robertson, United Professional Organizers
Jess Spiehler
Jesse Risner-Jacox, Denton Left
Jessica Kramer
Jessica Telano
Jesus s
Jewel Trueba
Joanie Steinhaus
Jodi Contreras
Joey Gonzales IV
Joey Martinez
Johanna Rollins, Former TCE Canvasser
John Beam
John Bendewald, Former Hudson Bay Company Field Manager
John Cuvillier, Restaurant Workers United
John DarrochMannix
John Davies-Schley
John Guglielmi
John Howell
John Qua
John Weber
Jon Garcia
Jon Reynolds
Jon Schroeder
Jonathan Reigenborn
Jordain Moore
Jordan Duncan, Former TCE Staff Director
Jorge Zarate
Jose Luis Sarmiento Ruiz
Jose Pineda
Joseph Anderson
Joseph Mostchenski
Joseph Santana
Joseph Zemek
Josh Galvan
Joshua Berntsen
Joshua Cripe, Street Medics Corpus Christi
Joshua De Leon
Joshua Wallis
Josiah Rectot, TSEU/CWA Local 6186
Joss kenney
Joss Willsbrough, Planned Parenthood
Jude Ray
Jules Taylor
Julia Lewis
Julia Porter
Julianne Smith
Julie Rogers, Retired Union Organizer & Labor Representative
Justen Howard
Justin Green, United Professional Organizers
Justin Howell
Kacey Lawniczak
Kallie Jackson
Kasey Holderbaum
Kate Mason
Kathleen Melendez
Kathryn McCarthy
Katie Garra
Katie Howell
Katie Morford
Katy Murdza
Katy Rowe, TCE Member
Kaya M. Sittinger, The Ohio State University
Keith Katz
Kelly Olivo
Kellyn Lappinga, University of Houston
Kevin Hayes
Kevin McGowan
Kevin Richardson
Kevin Weil
Kimberly Espino
Kolby Duhon, Young Democrats of America, Vice President
Kris Januskaite
Kristen Wieliczka
Kristina Flakowitz
Kristina Gomez
Kristina Pearson
Kristopher Parkinson
Kyle Faria-Robertson, Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Kyle McCoy
Kylie Cooper
Lara Keith
Laran Vondo
Laura Fair-Schulz, UUP
Laura Florescu, Former Field Manager at TCE
Laura Hutchinson, Former TCE canvasser
Laura Shindell, Food & Water Watch, Non-Profit Employees Union
Laura Trevisani
Laurel Toskey
Lauren Alexander, UT Law School; spouse of previous TCEQ employee
Lauren Elaine Wyatt
Lauren Petrie
Leah kahn
Leah Meltzer, Restaurant Workers United
Leo Lopez
Leslie Frederick, Houston DSA
Leslie Lea Ruel
Lexie Neffinger
Lexy Garcia, San Antonio DSA
Libby Anderson, The Blue Bench
Lindsay Haney
Lindsey Periard
Lisa Landry
Lisl Ost
Liz Ehmke
Love Sanchez
Luci Zimmermann
Lydia Dewing
Lydia Stewart, Previous staff of CCE
Lyla Lagner, Former TCE FM
Lyz Rocher
Maddie Evans
Madeleine Fontenot
Maggie Peacock, Gulf of Mexico Youth Climate Summit
Mahmud sharif
Malcolm McCrimmon
Marc Oran, Fellow Texan
Marcelina Esquivel
Margaret Herbert, CWA
Margaret Peterson
Marguerite Koole
Maria Banks
Maria Banks
Maria Brescia-Weiler
Maria Cruz
Mariah Boone
Mariah Cloutier, Local 228
Marisa Palestino
Marsha Kamish
Martin Nguyen
Mary McCall, Former TCE canvasser, field manager, and assistant program director
Mary Wimpfheimer
Maryam Nabhani
Matthew L Stevans Jr, PhD
Matthew Loughran, Houston tenants Union
Matthew Rohren
Mauri
Max Horstman
Maximillian Alvarez
Maximus L Ngwele
Maya Dank
Mayra Lopez
Meagan L Lauer, Previously OCA, Worked with TCE staff on cross trains
Megan Burkett
Megan McGuire, HCA
Mel Hisert
Melissa Zamora, For the Greater Good
Mia farinas
Miah R
Michael Alberino
Michael Billeaux, MATC Faculty and Staff Union - AFT 243
Michael Boyd
Michael Esealuka, True Transition
Michael Steere
Michael Vasquez
Michaela Wacker
Michele Mauldin, Austin Partners in Education
Michelle Contreras
Michelle Robertson
Michelle Wagner
Mike Conti, AFSCME 1624 rank-and-file
Mike Linaweaver, Locust Arts and Letters Collective (LALC)
Mike Michaels
Mikey Elfers, Former TCE phone canvasser of 14+ years
Mirinda Rose Crissman, AFSCME Local 1550
Mishkat M Liana
Molly Cook
Molly Cook, Stop TxDOT I-45
Muna Javaid, United Workers of Integral Care
Nadia Luis
Nam Nguyen
Natalie Snyder
Natalie Webb
Nate Wendt, EWOC/DSA
Nathan Leshin
Navjot Kaur, Kaur Republic Media Group
Neil Aquino, John Cornyn Houston Office Protest
Neil D Bhaerman
Neil Doughty
Nery Perez
Ngozi Onimoe, Student Workers United
Nicholas Devere
Nick Cooper, Free Radicals
Nick Escue
Nicole Matteson, Former CCE & Blue Bench staffer
Nicolle Maroulis
Nik Evasco, 350 Bay Area
Nina Kahn
Niraja Patel
Nishad
Nolan Ross, Austin DSA
Nolan Ross, Austin DSA
Norman Lawson
Omar Bantayan, National Nurses United
Patricia Zarate
Patrick Dooley
Patrick Minor, Des Moines Area Religious Council
Paul Duke
Peter allen
Piper Cotton, HEAT TXST
Polly Johnson
Quinn Patrick Murphy
Rachael Baker, Lead Locally
Rachael Stone, Working People PAC and others
Rachel Aldrich
Rachel Bendewald
Rafaell A Trevino
Rafaell A Trevino Jr
Raisch Tomlanovich, Formerly TCE
Ramsey B., Austin DSA
Raul Alonzo
Raul H Vidaurre
Raymond Lenart, Party for Socialism and Liberation
Rebecca Bateman
Rebekah Hinojosa
Rebekah Staub
Reid liberato
Renier Reid
Richard
Richard Lewis
Ricky Whitehead
Riley Davis, Texas State Teachers Association
Robert L Webb
Robert, Corpus Christi DSA
Robin Marks
Robinson Block, IAFF 341, delegate to Harris County Labor Assembly
Roishetta Ozane, The Vessel Project of Louisiana
Ronda Rhodes
Ross Fisher
Ruben Farias
Ruth Riggan, Former TCE staff member
Ryan Bluhm
Ryan Donnelly
Ryan Hemphill
Ryan Johnson
Ryan Marks
Sabrina Shaver
Safwa alkhaldi
Sam Kirsch
Samantha Richter, TCE
Samantha Richter, TCE
Samuel Pearson
Santana
Santiago ibanez
Sara
Sara Gore, TSEU
Sarah Jenkins Faulk
Sarah Jones
Sarah Jordan (SJ) Stout, Former TCE Canvasser, Communication Coordinator 2020-2022
Sarah Stapp
Sarah Von Alt
Sarah, Human Environmental Animal Team (H.E.A.T.)
Sascha
Scarlett Russel
Scott
Scott W Howell
Sean Clifton
Seth Hutchinson, Communications Workers of America District 6
Shalan Washington
Shane Johnson, Texas Sierra Club, Progressive Workers Union
Shanna Caughey, Former TCE OM, Canvasser
Shaw Digby
Shawn Edgar
Sheila Tahir
Shelby Bohannon
Shoshana Rice
Sierra Hub
Sindhu Thirumalaisamy
skyleigh baker , H.E.A.T.
Sloan Rucker, With Love San Marcos
Solomon Smilack
Sophie Perrault
Stacie Cruz
Stephanee Borger, National Association of Social Workers and American Federation of Government Employees
Stephanie Brady-Santiago
Stephen Huss, Houston DSA
Stephen Mercer
Stephen Rutherford
Steve Ruiz, S.I.U.
Steven Jolly
Sue W Page
Sunny Sav
Susan McKinley
Susan Sellers
Susannah Bannon
Susannah Beckman, Former HBC Canvasser
Suzan Zaghmouth, Previous Canvasser
Suzanne Horrocks
Sydney Burke
Sylvia Campos
Talia Calnek-Sugin
Taylor Alishouse
Thomas E. Koole
Thomas Meyer
Timothy Johnson
Timothy Jones
Timothy Reilly, Citizens Campaign for the Environment
Tish Turl
Tom Alter, TSEU
Tovah Moriarty, UWIC-CWA
Travis Howell
Travis Wall, Clean Water Action
trish niswander, AFSCME 1624
Ujjesa Dhanak
Valeria Pinchuk
Valerie Boucher
Vanessa Heine
Vanessa Zaehring
Veronica Vela, For the Greater Good
Veronica Young
Victoria Nelson, Houston DSA
Victoria Ramirez, TXST
Vince Rodea, HEAT TXST
Vivek Venkatraman, Party for Socialism and Liberation
Wendy Hughes, Sierra Club
Wesley Lawrence, SD-29 Committeeman
William Gore
William Lambert
Yana Kalmyka , Texas Climate Jobs Project
YDSA at Texas State
Yesenia Baldivia-Zarate, S.O.U.L of MU & MPC
Yvonne Robinson
Zach Kopkin, Progressive Workers Union
Zachary Baltazar
Zak