The March to Occupy GGP is going to be an exciting demonstration of the escalating pressure against General Growth Properties with hundreds from Baltimore and beyond participating. That said, with only several days left, there are still many ways you can be a part of making it happen.

Ways to Take Part:

• Be a part of a street team and flier march route Wednesday-Friday
• Help make sandwiches on Friday for marchers
• Give rides the day of, removing barriers to members
• General volunteering on the day of

Let us know if you can volunteer for any of these efforts by emailing occupyggp@unitedworkers.org or calling 410-230-1998.

Also, if you haven’t already told us you’re coming, shoot us an email or give us a call, we’d love to hear from you!

October 25, 2008—Low-wage workers march from Camden Yards to the Inner Harbor, declaring it a "Human Rights Zone."

November 2009— Harbor workers move human rights demands to the "top of the profit" chain to the developers who control the Inner Harbor.

December 10, 2009— Juan Paredes, Cheesecake Factory worker, signs demand letter to harbor developers, General Growth Properties and the Cordish Co.

December 10, 2009— On our Fair Food Solidarity Tour with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the United Workers mails off demand letters from a post office in Immokalee, Florida.

May 1, 2010— Over five hundred low-wage workers and allies come together for a city-wide participation play involving four neighborhood street performances and a march through the Inner Harbor.

September 2010— While on our first Poverty-Zone Reality Tour, a delegation of harbor workers and allies attempt to deliver the demand letter to top GGP executives in person.

November 18, 2010— United Workers attempt to reach out to Harborplace General Manager, Chris Schardt, about rampant human rights abuses at mall.

December 10, 2011— After two years of being ignored by GGP, harbor workers and allies stage a mass letter drop to demand immediate action. This action kicks off a national ramp-up against GGP.

Two years of silence from GGP on systemic human rights abuses at their mall is unacceptable. Harbor workers and allies from across the country demand action now and hundreds will be joining us next Saturday for the March to Occupy GGP. Harbor workers are calling on all our allies to stand with workers in calling on GGP to meet workers demands and restore the promise of the Inner Harbor.

For more details on the March to Occupy GGP, go here

To let us know you’ll be joining us, email occupyggp@unitedworkers.org or call 410-230-1998.

On Friday as tourists and harbor goers enjoyed a lovely Spring evening, an unusual thing happened. A light was cast on the Inner Harbor, exposing the reality of poverty-zone development on Baltimore. Greenpants, a Baltimore based group of artist, activists, and educators, came up with a brilliant idea to project an animation on the exterior of the mall that told the story of workers fight for work with dignity and fair development at the Inner Harbor. This mesmerizing projection was a perfect example of public art being used to open up space for conversations about development, poverty, and human rights.

The very next day, the Action Team unveiled a blown-up version of harbor workers demand letter (the one we’ve been dropping off at GGP malls across the country). Who knows, maybe GGP hasn’t responded to our letter because they couldn’t read the small font. But instead of bringing this letter to GGP, once again, we decided to instead bring it to the people. One by one, harbor visitors gravitated to the giant yellow letter and once learning of the abuses at the harbor they added their signature to the call for workers demands to a right to work with dignity, healthcare and education.

After several hours of educating consumers and gathering signatures, we walked up several blocks to the plaza outside the offices of the Baltimore Development Corporation (BDC) to join the Spring Development Forum. Organized by Another BDC is Possible, the Spring Development Forum was right up our alley. Leaders from across the city, working on a variety of social and economic justice issues, from worker’s rights to juvenile justice reform, came out to discuss how our current model of economic development benefits only a few and share how we can create a new model of economic development that truly benefits all.

This weekends actions proved once again that the message of Fair Development resonates with people from all walks of life. As we prepare for the March to Occupy GGP, we’re calling on all those who believe in the tenants of Fair Development, respect for human rights, public benefits over private gain, and sustainability, join us in this major action on May 19th.

It is in this spirit of raising our voices that we share this video of United Workers leader, Raquel Rojas, telling her story. She connects the exploitation she experienced working at a marble factory in Mexico to the exploitation she experienced working at the Cheesecake Factory in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Raquel talks about why she decided to become an organizer, saying that, “the struggle for human rights is one that I believe we all must carry.”

Raquel has become one of many leaders in the fight for Fair Development at the Inner Harbor. On November 18, 2010, she led a delegation of workers and allies to General Growth’s Properties offices at Harborplace to once again call their attention to the rampant human rights violations taking place at their mall, see past web post. Despite these attempts by workers, GGP has continued to turn a blind eye to the exploitation of workers. That is why, as Raquel states, we must all carry the struggle for human rights and why we’re asking for everyone to join the March to Occupy GGP on Saturday, May 19th.

Go here for more information on the March to Occupy GGP. If you have not already told us you’re planning on coming, please email us at occupyggp@unitedworkers.org or call us at 410-230-1998.

March to Occupy GGP

Saturday, May 19th
11 AM

Gather at Gwynns Falls Elementary
2700 Gwynns Falls Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21216

On May 19th, hundreds of low-wage workers and community allies will take the fight for Fair Development one step further with the March to Occupy GGP, a 4-mile non-violent march and occupation. We’ll be taking back our harbor and demanding a change to business as usual. We’re bringing the march directly to the steps of General Growth Properties and once we arrive at their steps, we will not stop there. We will march right on in and march through Harborplace mall. For a moment, we will occupy this temple of consumerism and fill the space with the possibilities of our shared dreams and demands for human rights and Fair Development. This simple act will send a resounding call to General Growth Properties that they need to put their house in order and ensure human rights for workers at their malls.

Now, is the time to stand with harbor workers and the vision of a “Human Rights Zone” at the Inner Harbor and malls across the country. Nation-wide GGP malls are part of problem of growing inequality and poverty in our communities, but we know they can be a part of the solution, if we demand it.

Email occupyggp@unitedworkers.org to let us know that you’ll be there on May 19th for the March to Occupy GGP!

Join us April 22^nd at 5pm Presbytery of Baltimore

5400 Loch Raven Blvd. Baltimore

RSVP Now!

Buy your tickets online by going to our eventbrite page

or

Let us know you’ll be coming and paying at the door, 410-230-1998 or info@unitedworkers.org

The Value of an Education

We believe that movements for transformative change are built, not born, by many many leaders united around human rights values. Our goal for 2012 is to recruit 50 new monthly Sustainers, these are people in the community who want to contribute monthly to sustaining this growing movement.  Becoming a Sustainer ensures that the United Workers can continue to carry out the type of long-term leadership development, like the Poverty Scholars and New Organizers Program. If you can’t attend the Human Rights Dinner, the next best thing is to become a Sustainer or make a one time contribution. You can do so by going here!

Armando reflects on his personal transformation and experience in United Workers Poverty Scholars program:

After coming to the U.S, I experienced many things that were worse than what I experienced in Guatemala. Back in Guatemala I only worked for 8 to 9 hours a day, but here I was working 12 to 14 hours per day under unfair conditions for what I thought was a “good salary.”  But I thought that was just how things work here.  I worked with the same boss for a year until he began paying us with bad checks.  As we pressured him to pay us, he decided to fire us.  I became unemployed, and let me tell you, that was very hard. I thought I’d never find a job; I was sad and worried about all of my expenses. I had to find another job quickly, which led me to work at removing dirt in a basement for 15 days.   I received nothing, not even a penny, because the contractor claimed he himself had not been paid for the job but we never knew if it was true or not. 

I met others with similar experiences and they said there is nothing you can do and that I just had to accept it. I spent a year working just 2 to 3 days per week and when I worked one full week I wasn’t sure if I would get paid for everything.  This was how I lived, day to day. Until one morning I met two people who told me about justice and some ways to solve these problems.   I was unsure if I could actually contribute to change the situation and I did not understand how.  But I thought, “Well, what can I lose if I decide to learn a little bit more about what these people do?” That day I learned, 1st of all what was happening to all workers was not legal, 2^nd, that it was all too common and 3rd that there was something to do to eliminate these situations. I thought to myself, “this is interesting and I want to learn more about what to do.”  I don’t want to work hard for free. 

My difficult and bitter experiences led me to be part of United Workers and strive for the possibility of change; this was the hope that I was looking for. Now I say we must prepare to fight for justice. For over 4 years United Workers has led me where I could not reach by myself. 

You might ask me what place I’m in now.  My answer to that is a place where I better understand the meaning of unity, organizing, justice, solidarity and cooperation. I met other people in different places with the same struggles, but specifically connected with families within our community. I’ve also spent three years studying and reflecting on politics, poverty economy, culture, history, morality and justice, etc. All of these things have impacted and changed my life. They have allowed me to see things from another point of view and see the reality that another society is possible and that united we can achieve the change.  I understand that we have common problems and we can find common solutions if we work together as brothers and sisters. We must leave behind all those obstacles that prevent unity and organization; and that through the unity of the community will build strength and power.

Buy your tickets Now Online!

What: Human Rights Dinner
When: Sunday, April 22nd at 5pm
Where: Presbytery of Baltimore (5400 Loch Raven BLVD, Baltimore, MD 21239)

The Human Rights Dinner is an opportunity to step back from the day to day organizing and mounting campaign actions to reflect on the resource that truly sustains the United Workers. Leaders. It is leaders that carry out the vision of the United Workers to help build a movement to end poverty by uniting, organizing, developing other leaders and contributing what they can financially to this work. Making a donation to the United Workers is not an act of charity, but an act of leadership. It will take the collective effort of leaders from all backgrounds to meet the United Workers long-term goal of becoming free from dependency on foundations.

As a step towards this long-term goal, we have set a goal of getting 50 new monthly Sustainers in 2012. Just at our last Strategic Dialogue, six people led this effort by becoming Sustainers. We hope to do even better at the Human Rights Dinner! But there’s no need to wait for the Human Rights Dinner, you can sign up online today to become a Sustainer.

We look forward to celebrating with you at the Human Rights Dinner!

For more information, email todd@unitedworkers.org

For a recap of the National Day of Action and announcement of the “March to Occupy GGP,” check-out this powerful video produced by our very own internal media team. Thanks to the Vermont Workers Center, the Center for Workers United in Struggle, and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers for bringing the fight for Fair Development home!

Also, tune in to the Michael Eric Dyson Show on Monday, March 26th at 9am (EST) in Baltimore on WEAA 88.9 or stream live via the web to hear Inner Harbor worker, Jared Gary, and Leadership Organizer, Luis Larin talk about the poverty producing conditions at the Inner Harbor and the struggle to hold General Growth Properties accountable.

Be on the look-out for more videos and updates to come!

On the National Day of Action, the Center for Workers United in Struggle (CTUL) and allies took steps to demonstrate to GGP that the message was spreading that GGP does not promote respect for human rights in their developments. As an organization that organizes retail cleaners, CTUL connected the conditions of cleaners in the Minneapolis to the conditions at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. Thank you to CTUL for their consciousness in demonstrating the connectedness of our struggles.

To learn more about CTUL, go to http://ctul.net/