Labor Legacy

City Hall should Work for You

Fighting for San Antonio’s Workers

Melissa Cabello Havrda has been a lifelong advocate for labor rights and the hardworking men and women who keep San Antonio running. Her commitment to workers’ rights is deeply personal—her father, a Vietnam-era Army veteran, built a career at Southwest Bell (now AT&T), where he helped organize employees, and her mother served as a civil servant at Kelly Air Force Base, strengthening a community that had given so much to their family.

As a City Councilmember, Melissa has fought for frontline employees.

She has worked to ensure those who keep our streets safe, maintain our infrastructure, and provide essential services are treated with dignity, receive fair wages, and have the resources they need to do their jobs effectively.

Melissa's leadership is rooted in the belief that strong unions create strong communities. She will continue to stand with workers, advocate for fair labor policies, and fight for the respect and protections every worker deserves.

She has championed policies that protect workers’ rights, improve workplace safety, and expand benefits for public employees:

Policy in action

Making Sure City Contracts go to Good Employers - Wrote the Responsible Bidder Ordinance, which passed unanimously in 2023. Now, companies that want city contracts must follow labor laws, pay fair wages, and provide proper training.
Prop D: Giving City Workers a Voice - Helped repeal an outdated rule that banned city employees from being involved in politics and wrote the first memo to the mayor asking for it to be placed on the ballot.
Helping Unions Grow - Pushed for AFSCME (the city employee union) to have access to New Employee Orientations, so new city workers can learn about their rights and join the union. I also worked with CWA to stop a telecom tax that would have hurt their members.

Record of Service

Fighting for Firefighters – When the city started negotiating a new contract with firefighters, they kept the City Council in the dark. Melissa led four other council members to demand transparency and fairness, making way for successful negotiations.
Championing Safer Workplaces – Worked with LiUNA to require OSHA-10 and OSHA-30 safety training for workers on city projects.
Protecting Workers from Extreme Heat – Helped pass a heat ordinance that gives outdoor workers water, shade, and rest breaks. No one should have to risk their life just to do their job.

Submit safety programs that include OSHA-10 safety training and heat illness prevention plans.
Report their Experience Modification Rating (EMR) to show workplace safety history.
Make a good faith effort to hire 30% of their workforce from San Antonio, its extraterritorial jurisdiction, or Bexar County.

Worker Protections

City Commitments

+ Policy Plans

Better Pay and Safer Jobs – Pushing for Project Labor Agreements (PLAs)—which set fair wages, benefits, and safety standards—as a standard on all city-funded projects.
Creating a Union Trades Commission – Signed the Council Consideration Request (CCR) in support of creating a Trades Board, bringing union leaders to the table together and ensuring that skilled workers have a voice in shaping policies that impact their industries.
Appointing Strong Labor Champions - Ensured that working people have a voice in key city decisions by appointing labor-minded leaders to important boards including:

Join our movement for stronger workers’ rights

San Antonio wins when our workers thrive. Melissa Cabello Havrda has fought to ensure fair wages, workplace protections, and dignity for every worker in our city—but there’s more to do. Join our movement to strengthen unions, expand worker protections, and build a city where every job is a good job. Sign up, get involved, and stand with us as we fight for a stronger, fairer San Antonio.