Houston airport workers will receive a minimum wage increase of $5 for a new wage of $20 an hour starting in August, which will gradually rise to $23 an hour by 2028.<\/p>\n
What this means<\/p>\n
Mayor John Whitmire\u00a0signed an executive order<\/a>\u00a0Aug. 12 alongside members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the labor union that represents airport workers, that will immediately begin the new wages.<\/p>\n Workers employed by air carriers, concessions and airport contractors will qualify for the raise.<\/p>\n \u201cThis helps, but this is just the beginning,\u201d Whitmire said. \u201cIt’s not going to be just wages. It’s going to be working conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n Before signing the executive order, the minimum wage was $15 an hour at Houston airports, including Hobby and IAH. This is the first salary increase for Houston workers since 2023, when former Mayor Sylvester Turner raised their minimum wage from $12 to $15 an hour.<\/p>\n Why it matters<\/p>\n Whitmire said that improving working conditions benefits the entire city and its visitors.<\/p>\n \u201cHouston is an international city that relies on our airports to run smoothly and provide a world-class traveling experience for visitors,\u201d he said in a statement. \u201cThis wage increase will help Houston airports keep their experienced workforce and ultimately deliver even better customer service.\u201d<\/p>\n The raises will go across all three Houston airports: Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), William P. Hobby Airport and Ellington Airport.<\/p>\n