U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar is under fire from all directions in the runoff election that could end his 17-year stint in Congress. He won’t say why the FBI raided his home and office in January. Allegations that he fired a staffer for being pregnant won’t go away. Being the last anti-abortion Democrat in the House isn’t helping either.
But there’s more to worry about when it comes to Rep. Cuellar, especially for anyone working to bring home a paycheck: He cares a whole lot more about mega-corporations than he does about South Texas workers and their families.
Rep. Cuellar was the only House Democrat to vote against the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, which passed the House with bipartisan support in March 2021. This legislation would build a better future for working families, including Rep. Cuellar’s constituents here in South Texas, by strengthening their right to join a union and negotiate for better pay, benefits and working conditions.
Our basic right to join a union has been under attack for decades. Broken federal labor laws allow corporations to get away with punishing or firing their employees when they unite to improve the workplace. The PRO Act would change that by increasing penalties for corporations that violate workers’ rights, strengthening workers’ access to fair union elections, and requiring corporations to respect the results.
Rep. Cuellar’s vote against the PRO Act shows he’s just fine with corporations breaking the law and trampling workers’ rights. His vote was a vote against decent wages for you and your family. It was a vote against safer working conditions, reasonable work schedules and the right to take time off to care for a loved one. It was a vote against every frontline worker who risked their lives to keep South Texas running throughout the pandemic.
The need for the PRO Act is clear. More and more Americans are fighting to join a union. In February, Starbucks workers in San Antonio became the first store in Texas to unionize. They’ve been joined by three more stores in San Antonio and Austin. But Starbucks’ billionaire CEO Howard Schultz has tried to crush unionizing efforts by threatening and firing workers. These tactics are used by other big corporations, like Amazon. In fact, employers are charged with breaking the law in more than 40% of all union elections.
In February, we rallied for the PRO Act in San Antonio and called on Rep. Cuellar to support working people. But Rep. Cuellar isn’t listening. After a total of 35 years in political office, he’s shown time and again that he cares more about union-busting, profit-hoarding corporations than he does about the hardworking South Texas families who are struggling just to make ends meet.
Rep. Cuellar has defended his vote by claiming the PRO Act “would destroy small businesses and thousands of Texas jobs.” Nothing could be further from the truth. Unions built the middle class and have made it easier for families to make an honest living. For Hispanic families, the typical union household has five times more wealth ($124,630) than non-union households ($24,072).
Right now, families everywhere are struggling to keep up with rising food and gas prices. Every day they see that this economy isn’t working for average people, but it does work for people like Rep. Cuellar. It is no surprise the congressman is disconnected from workers. He has an estimated net worth of $602,008, while the median household income for families in our district is $53,597. It is also no surprise that the Chamber of Commerce, the voice of big business and giant corporations, endorsed him. The same chamber donated thousands of dollars to Ted Cruz in 2018.
Working families deserve to know who does — and doesn’t — have their backs. If Rep. Cuellar wants to show he cares more about us than billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Howard Schultz, then he should immediately announce his support for the PRO Act. It is time for him to stand with workers in South Texas and help us build a better future for our families.
Geronimo Guerra is president of the Communication Workers of America Local 6143. Charles Fuentes is the legislative director for CWA Local 6143.
