Important Developments in Labor and Immigrant Rights
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African-American and Latino Workers Rally for Jobs and Immigration Reform
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Reverend Tyson (left) and Ali Kabba, Executive Director of the United African Organization applaud the message of Reverend Janet Wilson (right) of Rainbow Push.
Click to see slideshow
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Full Citizenship and Full Employment for Full Equality (01/16/10)
1,200 workers from throughout the Chicago region came together at the First Baptist Congregational Church to volunteer and fight for a community jobs program and the legalization of our nations 12 million undocumented immigrants. Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. joined Bishop John Manz and many other faith-based, union and community leaders to relate the need for an urban agenda that will legalize 12 million undocumented workers and create thousands of community jobs to address chronic unemployment. Bills to address these needs are pending in the U.S. Congress. U.S. Reps Jan Schakowsky and Luis Gutierrez pledged to fight for the Urban Agenda.
Immigration Rally Invokes Doctor King, Chicago Sun Times
Church Hosts Immigration Rally, MLK Celebration, ABC News
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Dozens of worker activists from the Chicago Workers' Collaborative from the city and northwest suburbs rallied for Jobs and Immigration Reform.
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Select/Remedy latest day labor agency slammed for abusing workers
Workers allege that national staffing agency operated illegally in utter defiance of the Illinois Temporary and Day Labor Service Act.(12/10/09)
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Workers Demand that Select/Remedy comply with Illinois law
See the following press reports:
Workers Fight for Stolen Wages-Telemundo (01/09/010)
Select/Remedy Workers File Suit, Chicago Tribune (12/10/09)
Workes Announce Wage-Theft Lawsuit, Workers Independant News (12/10/09)
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ICE Continues to Escalate its Low Intensity War on Immigrant Workers
ICE announced that it served 1,000 businesses with audit notices this week. Businesses were selected for inspection as a result of investigative leads and their relationship to "public security". "The real security threat of senior janitors and foodservice personnel in such enterprises is absurd," said CWC Executive Director, Leone Jose Bicchieri, in an interview with Telemundo.
Audits will lead to the firing of thousands of low-wage immigrant workers with years of seniority and accrued benefits. Audited companies will benefit by by getting rid of higher paid workers, replacing them with workers at entry-level pay rates with no benefits. Companies will hire temp agencies and other subcontractors to bring in immigrants paid at minimum rates or less without benefits. "All ICE has accomplished with this enforcement action is increase worker exploitation while forcing many older workers into unemployment situations where they can't provide for their kids, the vast majority of whom are U.S. Citizens," said Bicchieri (11/19/09).
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CWC Denounces ICE's Renewed Attacks on Immigrant Workers
"Strong-Arm" Tactics Continue, Telemundo (11/19/09)
Immigrant Advocates Slam Federal Audits, National Public Radio (11/20/09)
 
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Workers Hit Red Roof Inn with Labor Charges Workers fired by the Red Roof Inn and Randstad Staffing filed the first charges in history using a new Illinois law passed by the Chicago Workers Collaborative and UFCW Local 881. As employers fire thousands of their long-time employees to save money, workers are using new protections in Illinois to fight back. According to Maria Cervantes, "We had about 40 years of experience between all of us working at Red Roof Inn, making as much as $2.50/hr over the minimum wage with 4 weeks of vacation per year. Now Red Roof replaced us with workers making minimum with no vacation pay or other benefits." (10/20/09)
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Press Coverage of Historic Charges, 10-20-09
Ex-workers say suburban businesses broke state law, Associated Press
Fired hotel workers challenge e-verify use, NPR
Trabajadores Denuncian al Red Roof Inn, Univision Despidos en el Red Roof Inn, La Raza Newspaper CWC and Allies Press Release
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Protests, Firings of Immigrant Workers Continue. . .
"Tuesday, representatives of Chicago Workers Collaborative and Immigrant Solidarity DuPage visited two companies which allegedly fired long-term workers on the basis of possible errors with their social security numbers." Hoy Newspaper, Chicago, 09/02/2009
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Action
for
Immigration Reform
Prayer VigilsIllinois Districts 8 & 10 |
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Click to See Full Press Conference
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Fired Red Roof Inn workers denounce Obama's misguided enforcement
Who gains anything from this enforcement? asked Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky at a press conference held by the Chicago Workers Collaborative, Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights and Erie House. The answer: Red Roof Inn will save thousands of dollars in wages and benefits by firing long-time immigrant employees. (08-24-09) Telemundo Report
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October 3, 2009
After 3 months of conducting prayer vigils in front of Melissa Bean's 10th District Congressional office, the community poured into her office with letters firmly requesting a meeting to discuss immigration. Father Juan Bosco, Mision San Juan Diego Church, explained to Rep. Bean's staff that the 3000 families in his parish are fed up and need immigration reform now.
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Street Vendor Action --Street vendors demand the right to sell on the street. Scene: Back of the Yards. Click to View Slide show
After months of being mistreated by security personnel of the Swaparama Flea Market located at 45the and Marshfield, the Steet Vendors Association assembled more than one-hundred of its members in front of the Swaparama. Vendors handed out free snow cones, tamales, corn and other traditional street foods to Swaparama customers who signed petitions demanding that Swaparama stop harassing the vendors. (7/11/09)
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September 30, 2009
Immigrants and supporters visit 10th District U.S. Rep., Mark Kirk
"You can't ignore us now!"
Click to view Slide Show
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YUM! Brands National Day of Action. Chicago Workers stage Loop protest. Telemundo report
Yum Brands workers and their supporters in 30 cities denounce the world's largest restaurant corporation for unjustly firing and discriminating- against Latino workers. Slide show (7/10/09) Chi*Town News report
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August 21
More than 50 faithful pray in front of Rep. Melissa Bean's office. The vigils completed a second month of biweekly vigils for Immigration Reform in front of the Schaumburg office.
 
Click to view slide show
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Obama's "Administrative Raids" policy announced last Thursday makes Action even more paramount
USDHS Secretary Napolitano announced that ICE will audit the files of 652 companies and force them to fire any "unauthorized" workers. Companies in Chicago have been firing hundreds of long-time workers based on this same approach. This so-called "crack-down on employers" will starve hundreds of thousands of immigrant families into increasingly underground and exploitive jobs. As many as 1,800 immigrants set to be fired at American Apparel in Los Angeles. (07/02/09)
STOP ADMINISTRATIVE RAIDS!
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August 12
MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVE BEAN'S DISTRICT DIRECTOR.
Priests for Justice, Vicariate 1 Office of Hispanic Ministries, Chicago Workers Collaboratives meet with Nick Jordan, the congresswoman's district director. The group asked for the congresswoman to sign on to the priniciples for immigration reform. More than 200,000 immigrants live in District 8. No commitment was forthcoming. Vigils will continue.
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| Street Vendors License Campaign Gaining Momentum--The Chicago Workers' Collaborative is helping dozens of street vendors to join the Chicago Street Vendors Association in order to ask the City Council and Mayor to adopt an ordinance that would give them a license to operate. One Chicago institution, the Chicago Reader, is recognizing their struggle. Chicago's most widely read weekly publication published the vendors' campaign on their front page. After publishing the article, the vendors' were then featured on NBC channel 5's "Around Town".(5/28/09) |
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August 10
After Vigil at Rep. Bean's office, parishioners go to Red Roof Inn in Hoffman Estates to demand that the hotel pay the fired workers owed vacation pay and severance for their combined 40 years of service. Representatives from 5 area parishes and the Office of Hispanic Ministries called for the hotel chain to treat its workers justly.
Click to View Slide Show
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CWC and UFCW, Local 881 pass bill to protect workers from abuses of E-verify --"This law is a national model for protecting immigrant workers from discrimination stemming from misuse of the E-verify program," says CWC's Senior Organizer, Tim Bell. Many companies have used E-verify to illegally screen Latino workers or to fire senior workers engaged in asserting their workplace rights. Having passed both the Illinois chambers, such practices will become illegal once Governor Quinn signs the law. (5/27/09) |
August 3, 2009
Reprentatives from social justice organizations from across the midwest joined our vigil. The Center for Community Change to discuss strategies for fighting for immigration reform, a single-payer health care system, and economic justice.
Click to view sildeshow
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Vigil for fired workers. During the vigil, workers fired by the Red Roof Inn visited Bean's office. One worker's daughter spoke about how the firings were hurting workers' U.S. citizen kids.
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| CWC Helps Launch Labor Window at the Mexican Consulate--Every day, thousands of Mexican nationals pass through the Chicago office of the Mexican Consulate and wait for hours to obtain a passport, national I.D. card or other document. The CWC has come together with several unions and worker centers to distribute information and give talks about labor rights to these immigrants in the Consulate's waiting area. CWC's Executive Director, Leone Jose Bicchieri, promotes the "Ventanilla Laboral" on radio and TV. (5/19/09) |
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July 17, 2009
12-year old Ivan tells Representative Bean's staff that U.S. Citizen kids of undocumented workers are suffering from their parents getting fired. Ivan's mom was fired by Pizza Hut. Their poverty has worsened.
Click to view Slideshow
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June 17, 2009
Workers and Pastoral Leaders Deliver Message to Rep. Bean:
We need Immigration Reform Now!
60 parishioners prayed for Immigration Reform outside Illinois Congresswomen, Melissa Bean's (D-8) office on Wednesday, June 17th. CWC is helping to organize the vigils with parishes and workersthroughout the 8th Congressional district.
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CWC Workers Start "Green" Cleaning Cooperative --Now you can clean your home or workplace without worrying about how poorly your cleaner gets paid or how toxic the chemicals used are! (3/26/09) |
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Pizza Hut/Yum Brands Ground Zero for Discrimination against Latino Immigrants --After firing hundreds of its long-time Hispanic workers this Spring, workers claim that Pizza Hut has not given a penny to the families of its former senior employees. For this reason, the CWC and Latinos across the Chicago region are letting Pizza Hut customers know that the Pizza giant does not appeal to our sense of fairness or justice. Watch news broadcasts in Spanish. See Justice for Pizza Hut Workers on Facebook. (3/25/09)
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CWC's campaign partners are:
Office of Hispanic Catholics, Vicariate I, Archdiocese of Chicago and Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights.
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CWC wins Ron Sable Award from Crossroads Fund-CWC's many years of work in educating and helping immigrant workers standing up for their rights is celebrated in the Crossroads Funds award which included a donation of $1,000. (3/13/09) |
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