MONAHANS, Texas (KOSA) - Hundreds of West Texas tradesmen gathered Wednesday to advocate for better pay after years of stagnant wages.

The journey for a group of Odessa welders advocating for themselves after 20 years of no change started at the Ector County Coliseum.

Eric Marquez, a welder in Odessa, said with the rising rates of inflation, pay needs to rise with it."We haven't seen a change in over 20 years, I started in 2008, I broke out in 2008 fresh out of high school, and I started 65-60 dollars an hour, we're still the same," Marquez said.