New York Times On Me: In 15 Mug Shots, a Model of Disobedience

The New York Times wrote the following on me:

(McAlevey) has demonstrated on behalf of redwoods and rain forests. Against military intervention in Central America. Two years ago, she was in the thick of things as Local 1199 threatened Connecticut with a strike by 8,000 nursing home workers. Now she’s helping Local 531 and the striking janitors who scour Stamford’s skyscrapers. ”It’s never felt like work to me,” she says.

The janitors, mostly Latinos earning $6.15 an hour with no pension or insurance provisions, have requested a $9 hourly wage. Six moved into a tent downtown and began a hunger strike two weeks ago. ”Now they’re down to four, three of them women. They’ve lost 15, 16 pounds. These are courageous people.” For them to be making the minimum wage in a city with the highest median income, and third-highest rents, in the country is, she says, ”inexcusable.”

Read the full New York Times article here.