I work full time and still struggle to support my family. Texas should be big enough for all of us.
By Mashundolynn Venters
Caring for those around me has always been my life’s purpose. Since I gave birth to my first daughter 17 years ago, I have poured my blood, sweat, and tears into raising my children to make sure they get the support they need. I put the same effort into caring for passengers at Hobby Airport as a wheelchair attendant, where I make sure that passengers not only arrive at their destination safely, but have a smile on their face when they do. And workers like me deserve elected officials who will prioritize our needs at home so that we can continue to prioritize the needs of our passengers at work.
As someone who has lived in Houston all my life, one of my favorite things about being a wheelchair agent is welcoming people from all walks of life to my city. However, being a wheelchair agent also has its challenges. Most of the time, passengers are generous and kind, but there are times when they’ve refused service or wheelchair agents have perceived rude remarks. And the strains of being a wheelchair agent are not only mental — they’re also physical. I’m on my feet for eight hours per day, often on a hot jet bridge without air conditioning or pushing a heavy wheelchair up a ramp. When I return home at night, I’m often too tired from a day of work to do anything but fall asleep, even though this is one of the only times when my whole family can be together.
Most of the time, my managers have balanced independence and assistance to create a positive work environment for me and my fellow wheelchair agents. However, there are still times where workers have felt that they were mistreated or had the value of their work discredited. This is why I joined SEIU Texas shortly after being hired as a wheelchair agent: to fight to protect workers’ rights. As a natural-born leader, I knew this was an opportunity for me to use my voice to speak up for those around me.
I joined SEIU Texas just in time to participate in the fight to increase our minimum wage to $15 an hour. Without our daily labor, corporations would not be able to keep going, keep making the billions of dollars of profits they reap each year — and yet we rarely get paid what we deserve. And the airlines, like American and United, are making record profits without sharing the wealth with many of the workers who help make their operations possible. For example, for the fiscal year ending in 2022, United Airlines generated over $35 BILLION in revenue — an increase of 144% from the year before. American Airlines brought in almost $30 Billion in operating revenue in 2021. And yet we, the airport service workers, had to fight for months to get a modest increase of our own. Through months of political activism and making public demands for higher wages, Mayor Turner signed an executive order that increased wages for us. Receiving the text message that our wages were getting raised was one of the most exciting moments of my life, and I knew that it was only possible because of the power of our united voices fighting as one. But still, it’s not enough.
Even with these higher wages, many things continue to be unaffordable for my family. Each month, my husband and I have to prioritize the bills we’re able to pay — focusing on what’s due immediately before moving onto the next. Like many other families, we’re looking to move to a safer neighborhood, but the prices and fees keep houses out of reach. I’m lucky to have health insurance provided through my employer, but I know that this is not the reality for many of my colleagues. With two sons with disabilities who depend on daily medications, I can’t risk being without affordable healthcare coverage — and know how precious it is.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. Texas is big enough for all of us. It’s big enough for $15 an hour. And we can all come together, just like my coworkers and I do every day, to make our voices heard and use our power at the ballot box to elect officials like Beto O’Rourke and Rochelle Garza, who will listen, understand what we need and ensure that our communities have access to opportunities that keep us safe and healthy. I’ve fought so that my children can be successful at whatever they choose to do — and our leaders should too.
I’m voting this November 8 for the same reason that I’m a member of SEIU Texas — because the people have the power when we join together. Ultimately, the workers are the union, and the voters are the people. When we vote, we have the power to make a Texas that works for ALL of us, not just the few at the top. I hope you’ll join us this November 8 and vote.
