Catherwood LibraryILR School

Baltimore sanitation workers are demanding higher pay and stronger safety protections after two Department of Public Works employees died on the job last year. City officials have acknowledged more than 1,600 injuries in the department over the past five years, while workers describe hazardous conditions and inadequate facilities. Unions have faced sharp criticism from members who say leadership has been absent, though union leaders pledged to push for change. As the city begins implementing new heat protections and negotiating wage increases, many workers remain skeptical about whether promised reforms will go far enough.