Airport Workers Win $20 Wage Through Union at Bush Intercontinental

Concessions workers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) ratified a new union contract that raises their minimum wage to $20 per hour. The deal — approved by 99% of workers — also cuts family healthcare costs, adds a paid Juneteenth holiday, and strengthens workplace protections. It's a real-world example of what workers can win when they organize together.

UNITE HERE (Unite Here International Union) Local 23 — a hospitality workers union representing about 3,000 Houston workers — negotiated the contract with OTG, an airport staffing contractor. Key terms include: a $20 minimum wage now for workers with more than one year on the job, rising to $21 in October; lower-cost family healthcare coverage; a paid Juneteenth holiday; and added workplace protections. The contract was modeled after a deal UNITE HERE members at Hilton Americas-Houston secured after a 40-day strike in 2025. Mayor John Whitmire called the airport workers 'ambassadors of our city' and praised the agreement at a Houston City Council meeting.

If you or someone you know works in Houston hospitality — at an airport, hotel, or restaurant — this story shows what a union contract can look like in practice. You can reach out to UNITE HERE Local 23 to learn how organizing works and whether it might apply to your workplace. You can also follow ongoing negotiations, such as those underway at the Marriott Marquis, to see how the process unfolds in real time.

No fixed date

Not location-specific

This contract follows the 'historic' wins Houston hotel workers celebrated in 2025, including a deal at Hilton Americas-Houston reached after a 40-day strike. UNITE HERE Local 23 says it has also made progress in ongoing talks with the Marriott Marquis. Together, these events reflect a broader shift in Houston's hospitality labor landscape.

Before this contract, some workers earned as little as $14.50 an hour. For cashier Kia Howard, the raise to $20 is, in her own words, 'life-changing.' Airport and hospitality workers are often the first faces visitors see in Houston. Fair wages help those workers support their families and do their jobs well. This win also builds on gains made by Houston hotel workers in 2025, showing that organizing momentum is growing across the city's hospitality industry.