UnitedWorkers.org | Low-wage workers leading the way to poverty's end.

Living Wages Hunger Strike Announcement
Aug 15, 2007
WBAL 11

Historic Victory for Human Rights
Sept 6, 2007
Fox 45

Historic Victory for Human Rights at Camden Yards
We have been fighting for over three years to secure this victory and on Sept 6, 2007 the stadium finally moved to end the practice of paying poverty wages at Camden Yards.

Highlights of coverage:

Sept 6: Historic Victory for Low-wage Workers: Living Wages Secured at Camden Yards
Following the MSA Board meeting on Sept 6, 2007 the United Workers called off the planned Living Wages Hunger Strike and declared a living wages victory for the cleaners at Camden Yards. The Living Wages Hunger Strike was called off in response to the Maryland Stadium Authority's decision to re-bid the current cleaning contract and to include living wages in the request for proposals.

While celebrating the living wages victory, the United Workers remains committed to ensuring that working conditions at Camden Yards improve. The United Workers will work to ensure that the current cleaners at MSA sports facilities have a fair opportunity to keep their jobs and to work at the new living wage rate.

"After three long and difficult years of struggle, we're very excited about today's living wage victory at Camden Yards," said Carl Johnson of the United Workers. "Our next priority will be making sure that the current cleaners get a fair opportunity to keep their jobs next season and to work at a living wage."

The United Workers is a human rights organization that was founded by homeless day laborers in 2002 to secure the economic human rights of all Maryland residents. read press release (PDF)

Sept 4: Candle Light Vigil for Living Wages at Camden Yards
The United Workers will hold a candle light vigil on Thursday Sept.6, 2007 at 7:00 PM, starting at 809 Light Street. Following a prayer service at Light Street Presbyterian Church workers and allies will walk to Camden Yards for a candle light vigil at the publicly-owned stadium.

The vigil is being held to either further pressure the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) to turn words into actions and intentions into comitments or to celebrate victory following Thursday afternoon's scheduled vote by the MSA to re-bid the current contract and include livng wages in the request for proposals for the new contract.

If the MSA fails to keep the promise to pay cleaners a living wage starting next baseball season, the Living Wages Hunger Strike will start Saturday Sept. 8, 2007 at 2:00 PM - just before the long-scheduled Concert for Human Rights.

If the MSA passes a resolution to re-bid the current contract and included living wages in the request for proposals, the cleaners at Camden Yards will become part of Maryland's living wage legacy. Baltimore City was the first city in the nation to pass a living wage ordinance. The state of Maryland recently passed the nation's first state living wage law. If the resolution passes, the United Workers will be the first human rights organization led by the poor to successfully demand and secure living wages for day laborers. read press release (PDF)

Sept. 4: Concert for Human Rights Relocated
The Concert for Human Rights has changed locations and will now be held at 1410 Bush St. on Sept. 8, 2007 at 2:00 PM. The United Workers' concert will either be a victory celebration to share with hundreds of allies or intensification as the kick-off for the now postponed Living Wages Hunger Strike.

The United Workers is a human rights organization that was founded by homeless day laborers in 2002. For over three years the United Workers has been demanding a living wage for the cleaners at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. read press releas (PDF)

Sept 2: In response to Governor and MSA Chairman's positive comments, United Workers to postpone Living Wages Hunger Strike at Camden Yards
On Sept. 3, 2007 at 11:15 AM the United Workers will announce that due to positive signs coming from both the Governor and the Chairman of the Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) that the Living Wages Hunger Strike will be postponed until Sept 8, 2007. The announcement will take place during the Labor Day Prayer Breakfast at Light Street Presbyterian Church (809 Light Street), which was to be the kick off event for the hunger strike.

The postponement of the hunger strike is intended to allow breathing room for the MSA to work out specific plans for securing a living wage for the cleaners at Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium.

"On Friday the Governor and the MSA Chairman came out publicly in favor of living wages,” said Carl Johnson of the United Workers. “We considered their public comments to be an indication of a good faith effort at figuring out how to end poverty wages at Camden Yards."

"We're postponing the start date to give the MSA some breathing room so that the MSA can turn words into actions and intentions into commitments,” said Johnson.

"After three years of organizing and fighting for a living wage we want to make sure that a living wage is actually won in the end. We'd prefer to call off the hunger strike altogether once a binding living wages solution is in place, and we're hopeful that the breathing room this postponement can provide will help get the MSA to the needed living wages solution." read press release (PDF)

Sept 1: Maryland Stadium Authority issues permit for Living Wages Hunger Strike
The Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) issued a permit today for the United Workers hunger strike vigil scheduled to start on September 3, 2007. The permit provides clear parameters to help ensure that undue disruption is avoided while the free speech rights of cleaners are respected.

"We consider it a promising sign that the Maryland Stadium Authority has kept to their word and issued this permit," said United Workers communications organizer Greg Rosenthal. "With the permit in place, we can now be sure that our activities will result in the voices of cleaners getting heard while also making sure that our protests are conducted in a peaceful and safe manner."

The Living Wages Hunger Strike is scheduled to start September 3, 2007 following the Labor Day Prayer Breakfast at Light Street Presbyterian Church at 809 Light Street. Immediately following the prayer breakfast hunger strikers and allies will silently march to Camden Yards (gate F - Camden and Russel Streets) to begin the hunger strike vigil. The hunger strike will continue until a living wage has been secured at MSA sports facilities. read press release (PDF)

Aug 31: Governor O'Malley publicly expresses support for the cleaners at Maryland Stadium Authority sports facilities
Today Governor Martin O'Malley expressed his support for living wages for cleaners at Maryland Stadium Authority sports facilities. Speaking at an AFL-CIO event in Annapolis, MD, the governor said that the Maryland Stadium Authority is not exempt from the spirit of the state's living wage law.

"The governor is supporting living wages for the cleaners at Camden Yards, and now we are waiting for the Maryland Stadium Authority to act," said former cleaner and hunger striker Carl Johnson. read press release (PDF)

Aug 30: Permit or No Permit, Hunger Strike Set to Start Sept 3, 2007 pdf of release
The United Workers will hold the Living Wages Hunger Strike on Maryland Stadium Authority (MSA) property with or without a permit issued by the agency. Despite repeated assurances by the MSA that a permit is forthcoming, no permit has been issued. The United Worker is prepared to defy the Maryland Stadium Authority and conduct the Living Wages Hunger Strike even if a permit has not yet been issued in time for the hunger strike.

On July 5, 2007 the United Workers sent a formal request for a permit for the hunger strike vigil via certified mail. On August 8, 2007 the United Workers and the Maryland Stadium Authority met to discuss the terms of the permit. At this meeting an agreement was reached between both parties that a permit would be issued for a vigil site at Gate F. The Maryland Stadium Authority's representatives at this meeting told the United Workers that the permit would be issued by August 10, 2007. Despite repeated requests and follow ups, this permit has not yet been issued.

The Living Wages Hunger Strike starts on September 3, 2007. The hunger strike will end when living wages are secured for the cleaners at MSA sports facilities. Hunger strikers and allies will silently march from Light Street Presbyterian Church at 809 Light Street to either Gate F or the VIP entrance at Camden Yards. If the promised permit is issued in time, the hunger strike will be held at Gate F, as agreed to by both parties during permit talks. Without a permit, the United Workers will hold the hunger strike outside of the VIP entrance. The VIP entrance was the United Workers's first preference for hunger strike location. Without a permit in place the United Workers will go back to the preferred location. Hunger strikers will leave from 809 Light Street at 1:30 PM on September 3, 2007.

“We'd prefer to work with the Maryland Stadium Authority to avoid a confrontation over the location of the hunger strike,” said former cleaner and hunger striker Carl Johnson. “But instead of issuing a permit we've gotten more of the same. We've gotten more delays, more broken promises and more passing of the buck by Maryland Stadium Authority staff.”

Aug 29: Mayor Dixon to speak at United Workers Labor Day Prayer Breakfast pdf of release
Baltimore City Mayor Sheila Dixon will be speaking to hunger strikers and their allies at the Labor Day Prayer Breakfast on Sept 3, 2007. Mayor Dixon is a longtime champion of living wages and workers' rights.

“We are proud to have Mayor Dixon join us on the path to justice and living wages at Camden Yards,” said hunger striker and former cleaner Rose Menustik.

Aug 29: Labor Day Prayer Breakfast will kick-off the Living Wages Hunger Strike at Camden Yards pdf of release
On September 3, 2007 the workers who clean Camden Yards will launch a hunger strike to secure living wages for cleaners at Maryland Stadium Authority sports facilities in Baltimore. The Living Wages Hunger Strike will be launched at the Labor Day Prayer Breakfast, which will attended by state and city elected officials, leading anit-poverty advocates and other allies of the stadium workers.

The Labor Day Prayer Breakfast will be at Light Street Presbyterian Church at 809 Light Street. The silent procession ends at Gate F at Camden Yards (Camden and Russell).

Aug 21: Right-wing commentator trashes hunger strikers at Camden Yards
Right-wing commentator Dan Gainor trashes the Camden Yards cleaners who are preparing to hunger strike starting Sept 3, 2007 in order to secure a living wage at the publicly owned stadium. The United Workers demand an apology from the Baltimore Examiner for publishing “hateful trashing of low-wage workers” and challenges Gainor to a debate in any forum over the poverty conditions at Camden Yards.

“When I worked at Camden Yards the stadium pick-pocketed me, making me work without paying me a dime. At first I joined the United Workers because I wasn’t paid for my work at Camden Yards,” says hunger striker Carl Johnson. “It’s been two years and they still owe me for the work I did there. But I’m doing more than getting what they stole from me. I am winning a living wage for everyone.”

After three years of broken promises the workers are fed up and have demanded that the Maryland Stadium Authority pay cleaners a living wage. If this demand is not met by Sept 1, 2007 cleaners will hunger strike starting at 12 Noon on Sept 3, 2007. The Living Wages Hunger Strike begins with a procession starting from Light Street Presbyterian Church (809 Light Street). The procession starts at 11 AM with a prayer breakfast before the hunger strikers will march to Camden Yards (Gate F, Camden and Russel Streets).

Gainor belittles the cleaners as the “least-skilled labor” who do not require training and who deserve poverty wages. Gainor compares the Living Wages Hunger Strike to the “great labor battles” of American history, including the Haymarket riots and the Camden Yards railroad strike of 1877, but trashes the cleaners for demanding more than a dime.

Aug 15: Response to Maryland Stadium Authority: Stop passing the buck.
We are disappointed by the Maryland Stadium Authority's (MSA) passing of the buck on living wages. Rather than address the issue of poverty wages at Camden Yards now, the MSA passes the buck to other state agencies and claims there is not enough time for action.

The MSA can and should act on its own accord by rebidding the cleaning contract, with a living wage included in the request for proposals (RFP).

The MSA has known in writing for six months of the Sept 1 deadline. Face-to-face talks started in April. The MSA did not inform the United Workers that the deadline would likely be missed until Aug 7.

There's no excuse for passing the buck or delaying action. The MSA can and should act on its own and take the lead on living wages. The MSA has had over six months to get the information required to rebid the cleaning contract and include living wages in the RFP.

After three years of broken promises, now is the time for the MSA to take the lead on living wages. It's time to include Camden Yards in Maryland's living wage legacy.