Poverty Wages Are a Cause of the Economic Crisis

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Friday March 13, 2009 · 11:43 AM PDT

2009/03/13 · 11:43

The economic crisis is caused by poverty wages. How can workers pay for basics, like housing, food and health care, when we're paid poverty wages? If we can't afford to pay for the essentials, the entire economy gets pushed down with us. Make no mistake about it, the solution to this economic crisis is work with dignity. The solution to this crisis is paying workers a living wage, providing education for all and ensuring that there is health care for all.

This is from the March 6 press conference on the Human Rights Zone campaign to secure the rights to health care, education and work with dignity, including a living wage, to workers in Baltimore's Inner Harbor. More from the speech and the role of poverty wages as one cause of the economic crisis.

tomkertes

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Thursday March 12, 2009 · 1:58 PM PDT

2009/03/12 · 13:58

On October 25, 2008 the low-wage workers who clean Camden Yards and who work at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor marched together from the stadium to the heart of the city’s tourist district to declare the Inner Harbor a "Human Rights Zone." Workers were uniting to extend and expand the 2007 living wages victory, when cleaners at Camden Yards secured a living wage at the publicly owned stadium after a three year struggle. The Living Wages at Camden Yards campaign culminated with an announced hunger strike and a September 1st deadline. The announced hunger strike prompted Maryland’s governor to side with the workers in a speech made on the day before the deadline ended. With the governor’s support, the stadium authority reversed course and finally agreed to stop paying poverty wages to the cleaners.

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tomkertes

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Wednesday March 11, 2009 · 8:54 PM PDT

2009/03/11 · 20:54

Since announcing the Human Rights Zone on October 25, 2008 the United Workers has conducted a survey of 147 workers on working conditions and poverty wages at the Harbor. Phillips, Cheesecake Factory and M&S Grill stood out as the three worst employers for stealing worker tips, not paying workers for all hours worked, harassing women workers, disrespecting workers and pay poverty wages.

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Here's what the workers said in the survey, and why they say that these are the three worst Inner Harbor employers...

tomkertes

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Tuesday March 10, 2009 · 6:26 PM PDT

2009/03/10 · 18:26

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Rev. Brown, a faith ally of the United Workers, was told by police on March 6, 2009 that they would not allow him cross the street to the Inner Harbor and deliver notices to the three worst employers at the Inner Harbor. The notices are for economic human rights violations by the employers. Rev. Brown had been asked to deliver the notices after police threatened to stop the press conference and arrest workers if there was an attempt by workers to deliver the notices.

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