Support striking workers! Listen to great music! Drink delicious beer! Join us for Strike Fest, an all-ages strike-fund-raiser hosted by Greater Baltimore Democratic Socialists of America, the Baltimore Teachers Union, and Mobtown Brewery.
Help workers by making donations, buying merch, and standing up to support their fight! Enjoy music, food, and drinks and learn about ways to support Baltimore's workers.
UPS workers are getting ready to strike. Let's make sure they can hold the line by getting ready to support them with our GBDSA Strike Fund. This fund will help UPS workers support themselves and their families while they stand strong to win a fair contract. Once UPS wins, GBDSA will keep going, keeping the strike fund ready to support workers across the city in their fight for better jobs and better lives.
Event Details
Date
Sunday July 23rd
Time
12-6PM
The UPS Strike
The contract between UPS and the Teamsters is the largest union contract in the U.S. It covers more than 350,000 workers including drivers and warehouse workers. The current five year contract between the Teamsters and UPS expires July 31. Even though negotiations began on April 16, with no tentative agreement as yet, the Teamsters have vowed that they will strike August 1.
The Teamsters' demands have not been addressed, including changes in tiers of employment, benefits for newer employees, improved pensions, better control of employees schedules and a livable hourly wage. Other demands include ending horrific working conditions such as lack of air conditioning in delivery vehicles, forced overtime, six-day work weeks, and employer demands for driver-facing vehicle cameras.
Teamsters for a Democratic Union and its leadership coalition have transformed the Teamsters: new leadership, increased democracy, and rank and file organizing have raised the stakes, and prepared the rank and file for a strike if their demands are not met by July 31st.
The Teamsters are already showing unity and strength, signing pledge cards and holding practice pickets. How can you help the Teamsters get ready to hold the line? Support a strike fund, walk a practice picket line, educate your friends and family about unionizing (and not scabbing!), and stay tuned for ways to support when a strike is called.
Want to know more? Read this article or this article detailing the tough working conditions and the rank and file organizing on the ground to get workers ready to strike.
Fundraising for strike funds
Proceeds from Strike Fest will be split 50/50 between two strike funds. The first is a fund for UPS Teamsters set to go on strike August 1st. The second is a Baltimore strike fund, dedicated to support labor movements in the greater Baltimore area.
A strike fund just gives money to strikers. It gives working people money to buy groceries and put gas in their cars. A strike fund helps workers hold the line and pay their bills, and it takes power away from the bosses, who use financial hardship to threaten workers.
Bands playing at Strike Fest
12 - 1 pm : Brunswick
““Have you ever heard one of those bands that combines a bunch of genres to flawlessly make great songs? If you haven't, meet Baltimore band Brunswick””
- Sam Lowry — Rebel Noise
1:15 - 2:15 pm : Creachies
New wave, post punk, psychedelic & totally catchy. A little snarky and at times entirely too upbeat. Female fronted (think The Cardigans or the GoGos). Lots of synths and bad ass guitar riffs. A real life drummer and some 808 plus beep bop boops from our #1 robot Ro-Man... Just a lot of wild fun if that's what you're into. We can't wait for you to join us in our colorful and weird world.
2:30 - 3:30 pm : Old Eastern
"WE ARE OLD EASTERN"-From the ground up, Old Eastern is a hard hitting, Baltimore whisky-rock band with a stripped down southern rock style and mix of modern blues. Their debut album “On the Rocks” highlights this blend of styles and helps to establish their brand of rock. They’ve been busy in the “land of pleasant living,” Baltimore, MD. But you'll probably see them real soon as they push to establish their breed of whiskey rock
3:45 - 4:45 pm : OWX
Hailing from Charm City, Baltimore MD, The Out of Water eXperience is a high intensity, alternative Rock, progressive HipHop band, led by the animated, unorthodox, British born Nigerian, Femi the Drifish. Think Rage Against the Machine meets The Roots, meets Kendrick Lamar, with content that ranges from social justice and self-awareness, to witty rhymes and creative concepts.
Event Information
Admission
The event is free to enter and open to all ages, however we strongly encourage participants to donate to the strike fund. In addition to online donations, you will be able to donate by cash, credit card or check at the event.
Seating and amenities
Seating and music will be outdoors. Indoors, you will find the outreach table, merch table, sponsor and partner table as well as the tap room. The food trucks Mexican on the Run and Vibz Jamaican will be present.
Fundraising and raffle
You can participate to the fundraising effort by buying merch, donating direcly or take part in the raffle for several items donated by sponsors and local merchants.Merch
You will be able to buy Strike Fest inspired merch at the event. All the proceeds will go towards the strike fund.
