Living Wages Victory at Camden Yards
Tonight is an historic day for low-wage workers in Baltimore! After three years of struggle, the workers who clean Camden Yards won their single demand of a living wage at the stadium.
The Maryland Stadium Authority voted tonight to re-bid the contract when it expires at the end of the year, and to include living wages in the request for proposals. This is an historic victory of day laborers, marking the first time that an organization led by the poor has won a living wage for day labor workers. Needless to say the members and staff of the United Workers are excited tonight – we just finished an amazing victory celebration at Light Street Presbyterian Church, located near Camden Yards.
I have been working on this campaign as a communications organizer since the campaign started. My role has been to help develop the campaign strategy, to train members to act as effective spokespersons and to conduct press outreach. Last year I volunteered full-time for the United Workers, commuting between Seattle and Baltimore. That’s when we put together the strategy that led to the Aug 15 announcement of the Living Wages Hunger Strike. The hunger strike was postponed on Sept 3 at an event attended by Baltimore Mayor Dixon, days after the Governor publicly announced his support for living wages at Camden Yards. Today we canceled the hunger strike minutes after the Maryland Stadium Authority voted to pay living wages to stadium cleaners.
The United Workers is an amazing organization that has brought me in touch with amazing people. I am moved to be part of this organization, and to share in the victory we won today.
I am planning to head home to Toronto either Friday or Saturday. Ron has been an amazing support for me these past two years as the campaign heated up. He has been with me, even as I have left him for months at a time to focus on work. I am ready to go home and to have some time to just hang out in our new apartment – perhaps I’ll even take a few days off before I start the next campaign.
Cross posted at Tom Kertes.com.
