Unions Work

Member: Sixta Gonzlez, Janitor

I’m a janitor in the Uptown area, and I have been a part of this union since the very beginning when it launched the campaign to organize Houston janitors in 2006. That was 13 years ago. And let me tell you, even though it has been a bumpy ride, I would never go back to what life was like before the union.

Because thousands of janitors across Houston have stood up in our union to demand justice, our minimum wage is $10.50 an hour. And we won’t stop until we get $15 an hour. We have paid time off for holidays, sick days and vacation. We finally have access to medical benefits for full-time employees. Things aren’t perfect, but I would never trade the progress we have made together.

Unions work. Now more than ever, we need people to rise up and demand justice. Now more than ever, we need people to stand up and demand justice. Not only are we struggling to feed our families today, we are fighting for a better future for everyone, including our children.