Concepción Landeros

Concepción Landeros has been living in Houston for eight years. For the last four she has been working as a janitor making $5.15 an hour with no benefits. Together with her husband, they are raising their two daughters, Dulce Diana and Joana, as well as their grandson Ismael.

"I feel very good that we are winning our union -- my co-workers and I have fought hard for it. And we really need it -- I need a raise to make ends meet and health insurance for my family," she says.

"We don't have enough money to go to the doctor," explains Concepción, "and it's a real problem because I'm a diabetic." In fact Concepción, regularly misses doctors' appointments because she cannot afford to go to them. "It's a constant worry for me that my medications are running out, that I need to see the doctor and I can't," Concepción says. "It's also a big problem because of my daughters. Joana has problems with her teeth and my youngest daughter feels pain in her mouth -- but I can't afford to take them to the dentist," she says. "It makes me feel terrible that I can't provide my daughters with what they need."

The Landeros' health care problems could soon get even worse. Her husband is about to get laid off and she was recently denied her Gold Card*. Medication for her diabetes will now cost her about $200 a month, instead of the subsidized $20 she has been paying. "I have no choice but to fight because I need that medication -- but I don't make enough money to buy it."

"A union is important because there will be more equality -- and maybe if others see that we are fighting to make a decent living, they too can gather up their strength and struggle," says Concepción. She also believes Houston will be better off because "all workers are better off in a city where workers' rights are respected."

For Concepción the fight is not over. "We must not be afraid and we must keep moving forward. Thanks to the help of other workers, and community and religious leaders, we've accomplished something. It's very important that our companies see that we are not alone and that we have the support of so many people." "I feel stronger now more than ever.  Now that all my co-workers are talking about the union, my desire to struggle for a better life only grows," says Concepción. "We only want to be paid fairly, we are not looking for any handouts," she says. *A Texas Public Health Benefit for Low-Income Families