Worker Profile: Raul Agamenon

Raul Agamenon and his wife, Maria, live in Long Beach with their three young children. Raul has been a truck driver at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach for 23 years and Maria is a full-time caregiver for her children. As the sole income-earner, Raul struggles to provide for his family. His wages as a port driver are very low despite working an average of 14 to 16 a day.

Their youngest two children - Edwin, 4, and Stephanie, 6, have asthma, but the family lacks health insurance. Maria says that she can’t get a job because the kids need a lot of care and attention, especially because Edwin is also autistic.

As a mother, Maria says that she sees the need to help put food on the table, but asthma attacks are unpredictable and she has to be there to tend to her children.

“I don’t have a choice. I need to be ready to take them the hospital when they stop breathing,” she said.

Being an “independent contractor” has kept Raul from making the wages he deserves. He has to pick between taking his children to the doctor and buying a new tire.

Earlier this month, Raul and his family went before a panel of L.A. Port staff to support the Clean Trucks Program. Raul has hopes that the program will finally put an end to the chaotic system that has left him and his family impoverished.

“I want to be an employee because everything else has failed. We’ll be able to have a steady paycheck and the health insurance my family needs,” he says.