Just days after striking warehouse workers staged a large blockade
outside a major Walmart supply warehouse in the suburbs, a group of
like-minded labor advocates marched in front of a downtown Chicago
Walmart store.
The group, lead by Chicago Jobs With Justice, contained some of the same workers who attended Monday’s rally, like Dakari Whitfield.
Whitfield told Progress Illinois
that many employees in the suburban Elmwood warehouse work in harsh
conditions indoors without good ventilation, rarely get paid on time,
and are treated badly when they complain to managers.
“It’s
an unfair labor practices strike. We’re asking for a set schedule,
benefits, and maybe transportation,” Whitfield said. “When we presented
this position, people got fired and suspended.”
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Diane Ravitch, who was assistant secretary of education under George
H.W. Bush and then became a national spokeswoman against the
so-called education reform movement, says that Chicago has taken the
lead on education reform – and the revolt against such policies.
Walwart workers participated in a simultaneous walkout and strike Wednesday at about 35 stores in the Chicago area.
Employees at a giant Walmart supply warehouse in rural Will County
returned to work Saturday after staging a 21-day strike in response to
alleged employer retaliation by a Walmart subcontractor.
Chicago Teachers Union members voted overwhelmingly this week to
approve a three-year contract, with the option of a fourth year, that
was hammered out amid a historic seven-day CTU strike. Now comes the
challenge of paying for the deal, which has so far largely played out as
a battle between the union and district on school closings. 