burning man employees protest for worker rights

This weekend, Burning Man corporation (Black Rock City LLC) is hosting a Regional Burning Man gathering--the Burning Man logo is licensed for use with this regionals for smaller Burning Man events around the world. While this years theme is the Green Theme, which calls for environmental conservation, the one thing that has been over looked are worker rights. The six owners of the LLC have consistently overlooked workers and volunteers like they are expendable resource to be abused and exploited. The LLC members have had to settle numerous lawsuits with workers ranging from wrongful death to sexual harassment. Over six million dollars a year goes into the event through ticket sales, but workers hurt on the job are often left to fend for themselves. The playa restoration crew--the workers who spend five weeks after the event insuring that the Burning Man event continues to be the largest leave no trace event in the world--have had their pay cut by almost half in the last four years.

Please help us raise awareness of worker rights by joining this protest. The Burning Man company is a multi-million dollar franchised corporation and they are not above the law and need to take care of their workers and volunteers, and operate within the standards of safety, health, and wages mandated by state and federal laws.

Because the LLC usually will not rehire anyone worker or volunteer that brings up worker rights, those current workers and those who do not want to endanger their volunteer positions will be wearing paper bags over their heads with a burning man trademark.