March 6, 2009
Three Worst Inner Harbor Employers Put on Notice

February 28, 2009
Building History Leadership Day, Leadership Committee Elections

January 17, 2009
Allies and Advisers Gathering

October 25, 2008
March from Camden Yards to the Inner Harbor to Launch the Human Rights Zone Campaign

September 19-21, 2008
Looking Forward Retreat: Building History

September 6,7 & 13, 2008
Students for Worker Justice Intensive

March 6, 2009
Three Worst Inner Harbor Employers Put On Notice

February 28, 2009
Get Your Human Rights Zone March T-Shirts! (Filmed at Building History Leadership Day)

October 25, 2008
Human Rights Zone Launch Coverage on ABC 2

September 6, 2007
Living Wages Victory at Camden Yards Coverage on Fox 45

July 21, 2007
Summer of Unity Staying on Track Retreat - Talent Show

Phillips Seafood Announced as Worst Employer at Inner Harbor

April 18, 2009

Locally owned businesses have a special responsibility to the community. But when we surveyed 147 Inner Harbor workers to uncover economic human rights violations, we learned that Phillips Seafood was failing to live up to its responsibility. Workers reported violations that included poverty wages, harassment of workers and terrible working conditions. Here’s what the United Workers has uncovered so far...

“By the time I was eligible for benefits, I was no longer a full-time employee. Health care is expensive, but I would have got it. I can’t afford not to. The week I got laid off, I found out I had pneumonia in my lungs and all these pains in my side and went to the hospital. I have a $660 hospital bill and I owe another $410 for the ambulance.”

“I cut my thumb at work one time and they had me sit out for half-hour. It kept bleeding so they sent me to the hospital. They paid for my hack [not even for a taxi fare], but not the doctor. I still owe $410 for the doctor. I told them it was $410. They said I was all right, it was just a scratch. I have six stitches. By now it’s probably $600.”

“You think you have the same days off and then they just change it. I have to take care of three kids who need to have doctors visits, and there were times when my kids missed doctors visits because they would change my schedule without notice”

“I sprained my ankle. I slipped on the floor on a patch of oil or butter. A couple people saw it. It was really bad that night so I went to the hospital. The manager didn’t give me time to get better, they just had me working on my sprained ankle.”

“Last year I had a hair line fracture in my wrist. I got a brace from Wal-Mart, but I can’t wear it at work because I can’t carry the tray out with the brace. Last year I had a lot of pain in my wrist so I went to the hospital. The doctor told me he needed to do some more tests, but I didn’t want to stay because it was too expensive. The bill was $500-$600 for being in the hospital for 6 hours to get my wrist checked out. The brace I bought was from Wal-mart is $23.”

“They punched me out of the time clock. I will be working and they punch me out. I was cleaning the dishes and the manager would ask ‘how long you got’ and then tells me to hurry up. But when I go to punch out, they had already punched me out. They took 10-20 min from me. This happened to me four times. It makes me want another job, but I don’t have time because of the kids and work. If I try and leave when they clock me out, they tell me I can’t. They say, ‘don’t bother coming back’ or ‘we are going to write you up.”

“On the original schedule I was scheduled. On a Saturday I asked for the day off for a death in the family. I went in to work the next day and found out I was not scheduled anymore. I had X’s for all seven days where there should of been hours. I wasn’t put for any hours and was fired for going to the funeral.”

“I complained that I was sick, a stomach virus. I kept throwing up every time I ate something. I called eight hours before my shift. Then three hours before my shift and the manager said you got to bring your ass in. When I got in, I was throwing up on the deck outside. They finally said I could go home.”

Demands Announced Today

April 18, 2009

The following specific demands were approved by a committee composed entirely of low-wage Inner Harbor workers on March 9, 2009. The same committee determined the first target of the Human Rights Zone campaign at the Inner Harbor, and will decide when to reach a settlement with each targeted employer. The same demands will eventually be made of each and every employer at the Inner Harbor, covering every low-wage worker within the Human Rights Zone at the Inner Harbor.

“El poder no concede nada sin una demanda. Nunca lo ha hecho nunca lo hará.” - Frederick Douglas

OUR DEMANDS - NUESTRAS EXIGENCIAS

We demand that Phillips Seafood respect the economic human rights of workers by entering into a binding 15-year Economic Human Rights Agreement with the United Workers, with the following provisions. / Nosotros exigimos que Phillips Seafood respete los derechos humanos económicos de los trabajadores por medio de entrar en un compromiso de 15 años, un Acuerdo de Derechos Humanos Económicos con Trabajadores Unidos, con las siguientes provisiones.

Work with Dignity Demands

Treat workers with respect and dignity.
Pay workers at least the state living wage.
Require that contractors and sub-contractors pay workers at least the state living wage.

Health Care Demand

Fund a Health Care for All Program, in partnership with a community health care provider, that provides preventative medical care for workers and their families.

1. Fund at least $500 per year per worker (adjust for medical inflation).
2. Community health care partner is acceptable to workers.
3. Workers have voice in program development and operation.
4. Workers have veto power over program budget and spending priorities.

Education Demand

Fund an Education for All Program, in partnership with a community education provider, that provides expanded access to educational programs for workers and their families.

1. Fund at least $500 per year per worker (adjust for inflation).
2. Community education partner is acceptable to workers.
3. Workers have voice in program development and operation.
4. Workers have veto power over program budget and spending priorities.

Exigencias de Trabajo con Dignidad

Tratar a los trabajadores con respeto y dignidad.
Pagara a los trabajadores como mínimo el sueldo justo del estado.
Exigir que los contratistas y subcontratistas paguen a los trabajadores como mínimo el sueldo justo del estado.

Exigencia de Seguro de Salud:

Programa de Fondo de Cuidado de Salud para Todos, en pareja con un proveedor comunitario de cuidado de salud, que provea cuidado medico preventivo para los trabajadores y sus familias.

1. Fondo de como minimo $500 por año por trabajador (ajustándose por la inflación medica).
2. La pareja comunitaria de salud es aceptada por los trabajadores.
3. Trabajadores tienen vos en el desarollo del programa y la operación del mismo.
4. Trabajadores tienen el poder de manejar el presupuesto y poner prioridades.

Exigencia de Educación

Programa Fondo y Educación para Todos, en pareja con un proveedor comunitario de educación, que provea acceso expansivo a programas de educación para los trabajadores u sus familias.

1. Fondo de como mínimo $500 por año por trabajador (ajustándose por la inflación).
2. Pareja de educación comunitaria es aceptada por los trabajadores.
3. Trabajadores tienen voz en el desarollo y operación del programa.
4. Trabajadores tienen el poder de manejar el presupuesto y poner prioridades.

2002: Founded by homeless day laborers

The United Workers was founded in 2002 by homeless day laborers meeting in an abandoned firehouse-turned-shelter. We were inspired by past human rights struggles, such as the fight to end slavery, the struggle for civil rights, calls for immigration with dignity, the labor movement, the fight for international economic justice and other human rights and justice movements. For the first years of our founding, we focused on understanding the root causes of poverty and dedicated ourselves to organizing around universal human rights. The Living Wages at Camden Yards Campaign was developed out of this process. view video on founding

The Living Wages at Camden Yards Campaign resulted in raised wages for cleaners at the stadium from a flat rate that averaged less than $4.50 an hour in 2003 to the state's living wage rate of $11.30 an hour. As a result, each year more than $300,000 has shifted to meeting the needs of low-wage workers and families, instead of profiting exploitive temp agencies paying poverty wages. After a three year struggle, workers announced that a hunger strike of 14 workers and allies would commence without a living wages solution by September 1, 2007. On the day of the deadline, Governor O'Malley called on the publicly owned stadium to shift policy and pay cleaners a living wage.