Inner Harbor Businesses Accused of Human Rights Violations — by Seth Greenbaum

The days of treating workers like trash are over...

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On Friday, March 6th, The United Workers announced plans to confront three Inner Harbor employers as part of their “Human Rights Zone” campaign. They gathered at Mckeldin Fountain to protest three businesses for paying poverty wages, denying basic benefits like affordable healthcare, and treating workers without dignity or respect.

The targets are M+S Grille, Phillips Seafood, and the Cheesecake Factory, restaurants in the privately owned Harborplace development. They have been accused of not paying sick days, committing sexual harassment, disrespecting workers for things like attending a funeral, requiring workers to purchase “water cups” in order to drink, as well as putting healthcare out of reach for many and paying less than standard living wages.

The United Workers collected 147 surveys from workers in Harborplace describing this poor treatment. Though most of the employees themselves did not wish to reveal their identities, representatives from the United Workers and workers from Camden Yards, for whom the organization won a massive campaign for fair wages two years ago, spoke for them. They held notices to be presented to the employers listing the accusations against them, yet the police would not allow the notices to be delivered. Two officers stood at the crosswalk ready to arrest anyone who walked across the street with one of the signs. The United Workers chose Rev. Heber Brown as a representative to present the demands, but he too was denied access to Harborplace.

This event was only the introduction to a series of demands against the unfair employers at the inner harbor. On April 18th, the United Workers are planning its first action, an airing of demands to “the worst employers."

“The days of treating workers like trash are over,” said Veronica Dorsey, a spokesperson for the United Workers, “As a city, we can do better than this.” After a three year struggle, including a hunger strike, United Workers successfully earned fair wages and benefits to the service employees at Camden Yards. Dorsey expects the same results from this campaign.

“All life is sacred,” she continued, “Everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect.” The assembly ended with a prayer led by Rev. Heber Brown, offering hope to those workers struggling to survive with low wages, no healthcare, and constant attacks on their dignity.