Sep 30, 2022 - Business
Texas is good for business but bad for workers
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Texas is practically the worst state for workers, according to a new study by Oxfam America.
Driving the news: States were ranked on wages, worker protections and employees' ability to unionize.
- Oregon is the best state for workers, and North Carolina is the worst.
- Texas ranked 48th.
Details: The report points to wages lagging inflation, COVID-19 and several states' abortion restrictions as causes for more perilous work conditions.
- Texas earned a zero for its right-to-organize score because it's a right-to-work state and doesn't require collective bargaining for public workers, among other factors.
The big picture: The study comes on the heels of a new Gallup poll that says 71% of Americans support labor unions, the highest percentage since 1965.
Yes, but: Houston workers continue to organize, with two new unions formed in the last few weeks.
- Workers at the Starbucks in Montrose successfully unionized after a months-long campaign, the first shop in Houston to do so.
- Employees at Republic National Distributing Co. in Houston also won a certification election this month, according to the Texas Gulf Coast Area Labor Federation.