Hundreds of Chicagoans marched down the Magnificent Mile
Thursday, chanting, carrying signs, and demanding a higher wage for downtown’s service
industry and retail workers.
Part of the Workers
Organizing Committee of Chicago’s “Fight For 15” campaign to raise the
minimum wage to $15 per hour, the protest started with a 4 p.m. rally at Cityfront
Plaza. As protesters chanted “we can’t survive on $8.25,” minimum wage
employees spoke of economic hardships and community leaders spoke in support of
raising wages for downtown’s food and retail employees.
“I have a step-child to look after, medical bills I can’t
afford and student loans I have to pay off, but I’m not making enough money,”
said Robert Wilson Jr., 25, a seven-year employee of the McDonald’s on Navy
Pier. Wilson makes $8.35 per hour.
“We work hard for little pay and we deserve way more than
what we’re getting,” he said.
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African-American faith-based leaders from across Illinois called on
state legislators to increase Illinois’ minimum wage to $10.65 an hour
at a press conference in Chicago Wednesday. 
Derived from a long history of discrimination, a staggering
opportunity gap has widened financial disparities between black and
white Americans, condemning African Americans to less home equity,
according to a new 
Chicago workers braved frigid temperatures and a strong wind Tuesday
to make their voices heard by downtown businesses offering low wages and
the impact that has on the violence plaguing their communities.
Workers at 
On Thursday, the Chicago City Council unanimously passed an ordinance that will make the city a national leader in the protection of employee wages. Employers in the city will be held accountable if found guilty of wage theft, thanks to the new ordinance, and could have their business licenses revoked, making the city one of only two municipalities in the nation that has such a law on its books. San Francisco is the only other American city to have similar wage theft safeguards.