SLAC protests land acquisition

Members of the Student Labor Action Committee (SLAC) rallied outside Garland Hall yesterday afternoon to protest a land acquisition deal to develop a Biotechnology Park in East Baltimore that will displace thousands of residents. Protesters also rallied against the University's failure to provide an indexed living wage for University employees.

Members of the crowd chanted "What do we want? A living wage! When do we want it? Now!" as several speakers addressed the audience.

"Workers should not be impoverished," said Paul Kramer, a professor in the History Department. "To me, this rally is about work and survival. Johns Hopkins is a place where people wax floors, clean toilets and guard dorms, libraries and parking lots. The question is whether the University will acknowledge this work."

The University currently pays its employees a minimum of $8.20 an hour, which is the Baltimore living wage level. University contract employees are paid a minimum of $8.07 an hour, which will rise to $8.20 by July 1.

Protesters specifically outlined what they called an "indexed living wage", which is an hourly wage that would increase every year based on inflation and the cost of living. Members of SLAC say that the University's recent pay increases are not adequate.

"Without an indexed living wage, any offer is a temporary appeasement," said freshman Joe Harrow. "This University likes people who give them money. They take care of their alumni donors. But do they take care of all of their donors? You here [Johns Hopkins employees] are the most generous donors Hopkins could ever hope for."

Several members of the community who were in the crowd held signs and chanted with the protesters.

"I think it's really horrible that a University with so much wealth and property can't pay its workers enough money to live on. There's no justifiable excuse for it," said Bernie Brown, who lives in Charles Village.

Sophomore Maha Jafri explained that in addition to the University not providing an indexed living wage, a planned Biotechnology Park in East Baltimore was an inexcusable way to treat our neighbors.

"In addition to kicking thousands of people out of their homes, it will contribute to a cycle of poverty," said Jafri.

"We wanted to highlight the Biotechnology Park today because if Hopkins has the money to do that, they should be able to pay a living wage," said senior Eric Leslie.

The planned Biotechnology Park, which is a collaborative project between Johns Hopkins University and the City of Baltimore, will be situated near the Johns Hopkins Hospital on several city blocks that currently include 100 homes, 13 churches and several community buildings.

In a letter addressed to SLAC on April 3, James T. McGill, Senior Vice- President for Finance and Administration, charged SLAC with misrepresenting Hopkins' role in the planned Biotechnology Park.

"The planned Biotechnology Park in East Baltimore is not 'the Hospital's,'" McGill wrote. "In fact, this initiative is the Baltimore Mayor's. Hopkins has been a party in those discussions, but so, too, have representatives from the business community and the residents of the area being affected."

McGill also outlined the University's progress in increasing pay for employees while explaining that Hopkins could not commit to the idea of an indexed living wage.

"The University concluded it could not prudently allow part of its expenditure base to be determined by others outside the University who, obviously, do not have the responsibility for the University's overall academic and financial health. We cannot agree to tie salaries to the living wage index," wrote McGill.

Dennis O'Shea, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, observed the rally outside Garland Hall.

"We are far beyond where we said we'd be," said O'Shea. "However, the idea of a commitment to the indexed living wage is not one that the University is willing to make. We cannot tie ourselves to a moving target."

O'Shea said that the University was willing to discuss issues of poverty in Baltimore with members of SLAC.

"An offer was made two years ago to hold a series of meetings [with SLAC] to discuss poverty in Baltimore. That offer continues to be on the table."

Leslie said that SLAC would like to have serious conversations with the University about broader issues of poverty as long as the issue of an indexed living wage could be addressed.

"Some of our comments at the rally reflect how we feel about the letter [from McGill]," said Leslie. "It's going to be a busy month of April for us.