Progress Illinois

Chicago fast food workers and advocates for a living wage protested outside a downtown McDonald’s Thursday morning, demanding that the company stop mistreating its workers. 

Thursday’s protest coincided with similar demonstrations at McDonald's restaurants in more than 30 countries as part of the National Guestworker Alliance’s global anti-exploitation campaign against the fast food giant. 

Tyree Johnson, who has worked at McDonald’s in Chicago for 21 years, said he has been “exploited” and “disrespected” at the hands of the company.

“I complained to my boss about a raise, and I told her I’ve been evicted, and she said, ‘So what? I don’t care,’” Johnson said outside the McDonald’s at 23 S. Clark St. “So I’m here to fight and stand up for $15 a hour and support guestworkers who have been exploited also.”

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Residents of Chicago's 11th Ward were outraged upon learning that $57.4 million in property tax money was sitting in their tax increment financing (TIF) districts' collective bank accounts at the end of 2011, according to data unveiled by the CivicLab.

One resident suggested at least one way that money could have been put to use at the CivicLab's TIF Illumination Project meeting Wednesday night.

Maureen Sullivan with Bridgeport Alliance said she has been pushing the city to renovate the Ramova Theater at 35th and Halsted streets for years, to no avail.

The city currently owns the property, which has been closed since 1986, Sullivan said.

“It could be a thousand-seat performance space and the largest economic generator on Halsted Street, and it's sitting there empty," Sullivan said in remarks after the meeting, held at the McKinley Park library. "And I'm so angry, because when I talk to the city, they dangle (TIF) in front of you, like 'we may be able to get you some TIF funds for this.'” Read more »

The allocation of $55 million of Chicago’s tax increment financing (TIF) dollars for the building of a new DePaul University basketball arena at McCormick Place is “unjust,” according to a group of approximately 20 protesters who took their message to the university’s student center Wednesday.

“A private university can fund their own stadium,” said Adenia Linker, 45, a member of the education advocacy group, Raise Your Hand, and participant in Wednesday’s protest. “I understand the need for tourism dollars and the need to bring people to the lake, but we also need the infrastructure of education for the next generation.”

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