Baseball Park Employees Plan Hunger Strike

Contracted janitorial workers who clean Oriole Park at Camden Yards are planning a hunger strike over wage concerns. The temporary workers are demanding a raise of over $2.50-an-hour to bring their pay in line with Baltimore's living wage rate of $9.62 an hour. According to Maryland's living wage law, however, the workers are exempt since the stadium is state-owned.

Maryland Stadium Authority Chairman Rick P. Fuddwester said his agency is in compliance with the Maryland law. “You see, the law is a state law but it doesn't apply to temporary workers of state-owned institutions,” explained Mr. Fuddwester. “It's like this. I tell my kids not to eat in our pool. That's my rule. But if I want to float around after work with a martini and a bag of chips balanced on my belly I can do that because I own the pool and so the rule doesn't apply to me. I'm exempt. See? It's like that.”

Thad Grosnal of the United Workers Association said the hunger strike is an attempt to bring media exposure to the wage discrepancy. “Unfortunately it's probably the only way we're going to get some attention on this issue and get a living wage for workers,” said Mr. Grosnal explaining the tactic's rational. “I mean, no one can live by temping on $7 an hour, let alone raise a family.”

Mr. Fuddwester disagreed taking issue with the current wage figure quoted by Mr. Grosnal. “If they were really earning that far below living wage a hunger strike wouldn't be much of a stretch from their normal diet. It's deceptive because they aren't including the fringe benefits in that figure,” Mr. Fuddwester said. “For instance, after the games [the workers] are allowed to eat anything they find among the seats and under the bleachers: popcorn, peanuts, whatever. Last weekend my spasy nephew dumped a tray full of nachos and a half-eaten giant pretzel. Now c'mon. That's practically a meal right there.”

The strike is scheduled to start September 3 and end “when there is a living wages solution, so there is no end date at this point,” said Mr. Grosnal, who is not one of the hunger strikers.

Gilbert Rodham, who works at Camden during the baseball season, said workers are willing to “give up food and anything else” to get people's attention. “Except my smokes... and cable, but for sure anything else,” added Mr. Rodham.