Students gather outside the Towson administration building on York Road during a rally last spring.




Students at Towson University have begun meeting recently to plan an extensive living wage campaign on campus. Attendence at meetings has been high, often exceeding twenty students and faculty, indicating a higher level of interest than in previous years. For the last week students have been attending shift changes to meet and gather information from the housekeepers, in order to determine what their goals will be for the campaign.
Aramark workers at Towson are among the lowest-paid housekeepers on area campuses, and also earn less than most aramark workers across the area. Students last spring gathered over 600 signatures on a petition addressed to then Towson President Hoke Smith and Aramark General Manager Tom Gleason. The petition, which was delivered several days after a rally and march on campus, supported Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees union local 7's current bid for higher wages and improved conditions.
Despite these efforts, the contract negotiations continued over the summer and the contract was settled recently with less than desirable results, providing only a marginal increase in wages over a several year period.
Students hope now to pressure the university's administration, in order to force the school to adopt a living wage plan that would require any housekeeping contracter to provide its workers with a living wage. For more information, email towson action group at the above address.