Texas State Employees Union/Communications Workers of America, Local 6186.

The Texas State Employees Union/Communications Workers of America, Local 6186 has two full-time lobbyists in Austin working to influence legislators to vote in such a way that the union's goals and initiatives will be favorably affected. The union and the lobbyists also receive backing from the Texas AFL-CIO. In 1992, membership in the state of Texas among approximately 180,000 state employees was 6,618, up from the 1987 membership of 4,000.

Perennial issues with TSEU are maintaining staffing levels, promoting salary increases, keeping members' health insurance costs low, and promoting personal rights such as privacy, protection from liability, and payment for overtime. In November of 1987, the union was successful in its suit claiming unfair invasion of privacy against the Mental Health Mental Retardation Agency. MHMR was requiring employees to take polygraph tests, and the court agreed that this was not appropriate for that agency, banning MHMR's use of lie detector tests as a requirement for employment or to retain employment. TSEU was also successful in the legislature in 1987, with several important victories.

Lawmakers agreed with the union's position when they cut back on privatizing state projects by contracting outside instead of using state employees. Legislators also decided not to close the Austin State Hospital, after strong appeals from union leaders. The state increased its participation in employees' health insurance costs and raised salaries 2% across the board while agreeing to study clerical job descriptions and classifications. The 1987 achievements added up to the single most successful year for the period covered by this collection.

Jobs With Justice, a nationwide coalition of labor unions, churches, civil rights and women's organizations, community groups, elected officials and other citizens, targeted Stephen F. Austin University for a demonstration in November 1987 because of the university's treatment of food service workers. The administration contracted with a food service company, who hired all the people who had worked for the state before the contract was let. At that time, the company informed the workers that they no longer had the rights of state workers to organize, but when the union began a private organization, the company told the workers they were not private employees either. Inflamed union leaders and Jobs With Justice leadership agreed to demonstrate, and buoyed by the successful year in Texas, members flocked to Nacogdoches from all over the state. Over 2,000 demonstrators protested both the actions of the university administration and the food service company.

The North Texas membership showed its strongest support in April 1989 when they took two busloads of demonstrators to Austin on Lobby Day. They went specifically to lobby the legislature for pay raises, cutting contracts for state jobs, and ensuring fair grievance procedures. Union members claimed victory when lawmakers voted for a 5 percent pay raise and only $10 per month increase in health insurance premiums instead of the $163 increase that was forecast. The legislators also approved hiring of 1,820 new workers during fiscal year 1990. "Two years ago, when we had 600 members in DHS [Department of Human Services], the legislature gave us 400 new workers. Now that we have recruited over 1,000 members, they turn around and give us 1,800 for the first year," commented activist Gail Hortick of San Antonio DHS.

From the guide to the Texas State Employees Union/Communications Workers of America Records, Local 6186 AR396., 1980-1992, (Special Collections, The University of Texas at Arlington Library)