As one example, Johns Hopkins University (where I toiled fruitlessly as a divestment activist 15 years ago) has a terrific protest underway at the moment around the living wage demand, as you pointed out Doug, which in Baltimore (if not everywhere else) has excellent African-American church, community and labour leadership. And I gather the current shanty-building and attempted admin building occupation has been strongly supported by the Black Student Union leadership...
> FEBRUARY
> 24, 21:58 EST Violence Mars Johns Hopkins Protest
> By STEPHEN MANNING
> Associated Press Writer
> BALTIMORE (AP) - A demonstration by Johns
> Hopkins University students and local labor leaders erupted into
> violence Thursday as some protesters tried to force their way into
> the university's administration building. The rally was held to
> underscore demands that the school extend its ``living wage'' policy
> to independent contractors. About seven protesters wrestled with
> security guards for about five minutes as they tried to enter the
> building through a side door. One guard was bloodied and at least
> one student received a black eye. The protesters failed to gain
> access to the building. University spokesman Dennis O'Shea said he
> did not expect any arrests to be made. More than 250 students, union
> members and local clergy took part in the protest on the Homewood
> Campus in Baltimore. Members of the Student Labor Action Committee
> want the university to require vendors that provide services for the
> school to pay workers the $7.75 hourly wage that university
> employees and contract workers are paid. Specifically, SLAC and
> members of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile
> Employees targeted Up-to-Date Laundry Inc., which launders hospital
> sheets and other textiles for the Johns Hopkins Health System.
> Up-to-Date hires new workers at $5.50 an hour, said the company's
> plant operations manager, Mike Kennedy. ``Hopkins is their biggest
> client. We think that if Hopkins takes the initiative to say this
> behavior is unacceptable, other hospitals may follow suit,'' said
> Ben Hensler, a union organizer. >
>
> ___________________________________________________________________
> February 24, 2000 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE > Contacts: Vikram
> Kambampati, Student-Labor Action Committee, 410.889.8427 Naoko
> Watanabe, Student Labor Action Committee, 443.415.7395 Chester
> Wickwire, Former Chaplain, Johns Hopkins University, 410.825.8949
>
> RALLY AT HOPKINS HIGHLIGHTS LABOR-RELATED ISSUES
> Over 350
> members of a coalition of labor unions, faith community members, and
> students rallied today at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore,
> MD to protest the unjust labor practices perpetrated by Hopkins.
> The rally began with the impassioned speeches of labor and faith
> community leaders, and closed with the rally being denied access to
> the administration building, Garland Hall.
>
> Bishop Douglas Miles, Hopkins alumnus, said "The halls of privilege
> were locked to the voices of justice, but let it be known, we will
> return!" followed by the unified voice of the crowd raised in chant
> "We will return, we will return." > The protest, building off of
> years of work by the Student-Labor Action Committee (SLAC), focused
> on Up-to-Date Laundry, Inc., a Hopkins subcontractor. It was a
> response to the 100 Labor Board violations of Up-to-Date, which
> include sexual harassment, racial discrimination, hazardous working
> conditions and the firing of pro-union workers. Hopkins provides 40%
> of Up-to-Date's business. "Up-to-Date Laundry is a sweatshop: it has
> 19th century labor practices in the 21st century," declaimed Rev.
> Sydney Daniels, a member of Baltimore's Interministerial Alliance.
> Hopkins student activists constructed and have been occupying for
> three days a "shanty" at the university's entrance to symbolize the
> plight of the working poor employed by Hopkins. Over 1000 workers at
> Hopkins are paid poverty wages. Many of them are employed through a
> subcontracting agency, the Dome Corporation, owned by Hopkins
> itself. SLAC has been pressuring the administration for three years
> to adopt a Living Wage policy: a Living Wage is a wage determined
> sufficient to keep a family over the Federal Poverty Line. Following
> the speeches, Bishop Miles attempted to lead the rally to President
> Brody's office in Garland Hall with the coalition's demands in hand.
> Rev. Miles, along with community leaders, labor representatives and
> students, were denied entry. Several SLAC members peacefully
> attempted to enter the building by a side door but were forcefully
> restrained by Hopkins security. One student was injured and briefly
> hospitalized. The shanty on campus will continue as will the
> struggle for a Living Wage, justice for the workers at Up-to-Date,
> and a sweatshop free campus.