The Student Labor Action Committee (SLAC) recently held a rally in front of Garland Hall to protest the Johns Hopkins Institution's refusal to commit to an indexed Living Wage for all Hopkins employees and subcontracted workers. The Living Wage is not simply a number, but a measure of how we, as a society, value work, compensation and the rights of all workers to live with respect, dignity and freedom from poverty. The Living Wage is an hourly wage determined by the federal poverty line for a family of four. The Baltimore City Living Wage Ordinance, passed in 1995, currently sets the city Living Wage at $8.20 per hour (set to rise to $8.50 per hour this July). But, even though Johns Hopkins is Maryland's largest private employer, it does not have to follow this ordinance because it operates as a private "corporation."
On March 16, 2000, SLAC ended its 17 day sit-in for a Hopkins Living Wage in Garland Hall. An agreement was reached with the Hopkins administration that, by July 2002, all Hopkins workers would receive a wage of at least $7.75 an hour. But this wage is now well below Baltimore's Living Wage, and because Hopkins' wages are not indexed, they will continue to lose value over time. While we supported the wage increases in 2000, the fact that they are not indexed means that Hopkins is able to continue to exploit the labor source of Baltimore City for wages that keep employees trapped in poverty. This is why we returned to Garland Hall, and it is why we raise our voices in protest again.
One basic economic principle is the concept of inflation. Although Hopkins called the 2000 agreement a Living Wage, the simple truth is that a Living Wage, when implemented without any intentions for adjustment, is no longer a livable wage once inflation and costs of living rise. The administration's refusal to commit to an indexed Living Wage that increases with inflation is a demonstration of their disregard for the hardworking Johns Hopkins employees at all Hopkins institutions and for the City of Baltimore as a whole. In his response to an open letter by Julie Eisenhardt in The News-Letter on Oct. 28, 1999, University President William Brody quoted a letter he had written in which he stated, "[Johns Hopkins is in] a strong position to set an example in [Baltimore] by ensuring that its workers are paid a living wage. Johns Hopkins further encourages all employers in Baltimore to follow its example." However, this seems to be a moot point, since Johns Hopkins is not paying a Living Wage and will not commit to indexing wages.
Unfortunately, Hopkins' refusal to commit to the indexed Living Wage is not its only usurpation from Baltimore City. Through a land acquisition deal with the city government, Johns Hopkins is currently working to develop a Biotechnology Park in East Baltimore. This park will displace the hundreds of East Baltimore residents who live where the park is to be built. Johns Hopkins continues to use Baltimore as though it were its own private resource, taking what labor they will, paying poverty wages and pushing Baltimore City residents out of their homes. At the same time, Johns Hopkins Institutions continue to receive untold millions from state and federal grants. Johns Hopkins is one of the 50 institutions to receive the highest amount of money from federal grants, and yet it uses that money in part to evict citizens, tear down churches, destroy historic buildings and lock its employees into poverty.
In the same News-Letter article referenced above, Brody wrote that he believes, "anyone working for Johns Hopkins should receive wages that keep them out of poverty." If this is true, then we are confused as to why the Johns Hopkins administration refuses to commit to a long-term, indexed Living Wage policy that will help stop the cycle of poverty in Baltimore to which Johns Hopkins contributes. Furthermore, if, as Brody said in his response, he agrees, "that Johns Hopkins has a responsibility to its workers and to the city of Baltimore," we are at a loss to understand how paying poverty wages to Baltimore City residents can be reconciled with this statement.
If Hopkins cares about its workers, it will do the right thing, just as other colleges and universities across the country such as Stanford and Loyola here in Baltimore, have done: commit to an indexed Living Wage. If not, we will continue our campaign against these unjust practices. For more information, visit our Web site at http://slac.members.easyspace.com.
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