Saturday, September 1, 2007

Temporary workers who clean Oriole Park at Camden Yards say they will begin a hunger strike on Labor Day to draw attention to their demands for a living wage.

The workers, who make $7 an hour, are seeking the city's living wage rate of $9.62 an hour, even though they are exempt under Maryland's living-wage law because the stadium is state-owned.

Eleven workers and three "allies" who have worked on the campaign will begin the hunger strike on Monday, said Greg Rosenthal, a communications organizer with the United Workers Association.

"The cleaners have said that the strike will end when there's a living-wages solution, so there is no end date at this point," said Rosenthal, who is not one of the hunger strikers.

The Baltimore human rights organization founded by homeless day laborers represents 800 cleaners at Camden Yards. The association said the workers will begin their hunger strike Sept. 3 unless the Maryland Stadium Authority meets its Sept. 1 deadline.

"We think it's the only way we'll get attention and get a living wage for workers," stadium worker Luis Larin told the Baltimore Sun.

The association says the stadium is the largest employer of day laborers in the city. Rosenthal said between 150 and 200 workers are employed for each game.

? SUSPENDED: Yankees rookie sensation Joba Chamberlain was suspended for two games and fined $1,000, a day after he threw consecutive 98-99 mph pitches over the head of the Red Sox' Kevin Youkilis.

Chamberlain will not appeal the penalty. He sat out last night and will sit out today against the Devil Rays. Under the Yankees' rules for him, the 21-year-old reliever wouldn't have been available to pitch last night, anyway.

"We just thought it would be best to get it out of the way now," Chamberlain said. "It's one of those things, if you appeal it and draw it out, maybe it comes at a key time of the year. Every time is key right now, so if we can do it right now and get it out of the way then that's the best."

-- From News Services