At 4 a.m. every Thursday morning, hours after the bars on Route 1 made their last call, Justice at Maryland’s “A.M. Crew” was just getting started.
The group, which typically consisted of four to five students each week, felt compelled to take action and help protect workers after several Facilities Management staff members came forward with allegations of workplace harassment and abuse last year. The allegations spurred several public forums and a Human Resources investigation that led to a 60-page report directed by the provost’s office. For several months, the students spent two hours a week walking through the academic buildings that surround McKeldin Mall to ensure the workers were safe on their early morning rounds.
Although the report outlined nine recommendations to improve working conditions, A.M. Crew members believed the only way to ensure workers feel safer in their environments is to be with them during their shifts.
“This is the time of day where workers are most vulnerable to abuse, and my presence can act as a form of security that will reassure the workers we are trying to look out for them,” A.M. Crew member Tim Baldauf-Lenschen said. “We’re another set of eyes so workers know that they’re not alone.”
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As they are every morning, the halls of the buildings on May 10 are hollow and dark, vaguely resembling the space students occupy during the day. But while most students are still sleeping, staff members are busy cleaning the hallways and classrooms and maintaining the campus’ buildings.
The A.M. Crew’s first stop is Jimenez Hall, where they meet two female workers who are collecting trash on the third floor. Neither speaks English, so A.M. Crew member SiSi Reid introduces herself in Spanish, explains why the group is there and makes it a point to express how much they care.
Before they leave, Reid hands each of the women a double-sided flier – one side written in English, the other side in Spanish – that explains the details of new computer literacy classes Justice at Maryland is offering.
The A.M. Crew began in the fall semester with members of Feminism Without Borders leading the way. However, last semester Baldauf-Lenschen and others took over the responsibility of making sure the workers feel safe, even if it means waking up in the early hours of the morning.
“I realize that workers probably go through that same feeling of not wanting to wake up every morning,” Baldauf-Lenschen said. “This is only once a week for me, so I tell myself that I have no reason not to be out here if they have to go through this every day.”
By 5 a.m., the crew finishes its walk-through of Symons Hall, but does not find any workers. As they move toward the other side of the mall, the sun begins to break over the tops of the trees.
Reid hums as the group walks, trying to match melody with lyric for an A.M. Crew theme song.
“We walk, we stride, we search, don’t hide, one group, we stand, we walk, with pride,” she raps.
A.M. Crew member Modesta Agbemaple says it’s only possible to understand the workers’ plight if she sees firsthand what conditions they face.
“I wanted to be able to experience talking to these workers and seeing their working environment,” Agbemaple said. “The first time I went I was just blown away.”
The final stop for the crew is Tydings Hall, which Reid says is one of her favorite places to talk with workers. On the third floor, a male worker – pushing a trash can with one hand, carrying a broom with the other – comes out of a classroom with a gratified look on his face.
“I really appreciate the acknowledgment,” he says, after each member of the crew thanks him for his hard work. “Especially [you] coming out this early, because I know that this is your time, aside from studying. This means a lot.”
On the crew’s way out, Reid spots a worker she spoke with earlier. As they turn to leave, the woman says in broken English, “I’ll be calling you guys, because I want those computer classes.”
Two hours after they began, with the sun now shining brightly on the mall, the crew reflects on the morning’s work with a sense of accomplishment and pride, hoping that while others were fast asleep, they made a difference in several workers’ lives.
“They feel like someone actually cares for them when we do this,” Agbemaple said. “Being able to see that smile on their face as we leave is worth waking up for in the morning.”
sinclair@umdbk.com
