QUARTERLY PUBLICATION FROM THE CHICAGO FEDERATION OF LABOR • ISSUE 2`• 2019 Chicago Celebrates May Day Led by the Chicago Federation of Labor, workers from across the labor movement celebrate International Workers’ Day www.chicagolabor.org CONTENTS 4 Affiliate News 6 Cover Story Chicago Celebrates May Day 8 Feature Stories 10 CFL News COVER PHOTO CROWDS GATHER AT THE HAYMARKET MEMORIAL ON MAY DAY (CHICAGO FEDERATION OF LABOR) Fight Song Members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra strike for better wages and benefits. President’s Report CONNECT Chicagoans made their voices heard loud and clear during this year’s municipal elections by FACEBOOK sending Lori Lightfoot to the mayor’s office CHICAGOLABOR by an overwhelming margin and electing 12 new members to the Chicago City Council. A new mayor and city council brings new opportunities and new challenges for the labor TWITTER movement, and the Chicago Federation of @CHICAGOLABOR Labor is ready to step up to the plate. Over the course of the campaign, I met with many TWITTER City Council candidates and several of the mayoral contenders, including Lightfoot. I @PROUDUNIONHOME found my conversations with Mayor Lightfoot to be productive and forward-thinking, and I YOUTUBE was encouraged to see her take a strong stand in support of pro-worker initiatives like the WEAREONECHICAGO 2 | FederationNews PHOTO: CHICAGO FEDERATION OF LABOR Fair Workweek Ordinance, a clean, safe, and officials is respect – both respect from labor The beginning of a new mayoral effective infrastructure, protecting public for the politician, but also respect for working administration and city council is an exciting service retirement plans, the statewide Fair people from their elected officials. We will and historic time for our city. We are ready to Tax, and increasing the minimum wage. These strive for a respectful relationship with Mayor engage the new administration on the issues issues are critical to unions and having the Lightfoot while never compromising on our that matter to working people, and we are incoming mayor on the record in support core values – and never giving up the fight for eager to continue the fight for sustainable of them provides us with a strong starting the working men and women of Chicago and infrastructure, fair workplaces, higher point to begin our work with the Lightfoot Cook County. wages, affordable healthcare, and strong Administration. We will also continue to work with our communities. There may be, of course, instances where friend and ally Toni Preckwinkle in her role the labor community and the incoming as President of the Cook County Board of mayor do not see eye to eye. That is the case Commissioners. President Preckwinkle has with every elected official at every level of been a supporter of working people while BOB REITER government. I believe what’s most important never backing down from political battles, and PRESIDENT when maintaining relationships with elected we applaud her for a hard-fought campaign. FederationNews | 3 Read more on these topics at www.chicagolabor.org/news. Affiliate News Workers and daughter and her granddaughter the 20th Ward. want to be paid to do their jobs.” out of their apartment and in “The hospital industry could Federal employees missed at Electeds Converge with her sister because she can no invest that money,” continued least two paychecks and faced to Call a Code Blue longer afford the rent. Taylor. “We need the money difficult financial decisions about “We might have ended up invested in our communities. how they would pay for rent, on Illinois Hospital homeless,” said Carter. “But We need it invested in health mortgage, medical bills, student Industry today we’re not crying in private, care centers, trauma centers, and loans, car notes, and even basic we’re calling an emergency in resources to save lives. Every necessities like food and gas. Hospital workers and SEIU public—because that’s what it is summer communities across the More than 420,000 workers were Healthcare members from when thousands of hard workers city face a crisis of shootings. It’s essential and forced to work facilities across Greater Chicago are paid poverty wages.” time for hospitals to invest and without pay while 380,000 were in the streets of Douglas Park President of the Cook County prevent these crises.” furloughed and prevented from highlighted the crisis for workers Board of Commissioners Toni working. Many had to rely on in the hospital industry. Preckwinkle spoke her support food banks and other charitable “We’re calling a code blue for the workers’ demands services organized through the because the misplaced priorities and efforts to resuscitate Trump’s United Way during the shutdown. of the hospital industry are the unhealthy industry. “The Government The shutdown cost the U.S. hurting us all,” said Northwestern healthcare workers here today Shutdown Sparked economy approximately $11 Memorial Hospital worker have called for the right to billion, and if the shutdown Kim Smith, kicking off a press unionize in all Illinois Hospital Solidarity for continued much longer, it conference as the march ended Association facilities,” she and from Federal threatened to wreak havoc. across the street from Mt. Sinai said. “It’s time we invest in this SNAP benefits would have run Hospital. community of workers who’ve Employees out for the 43.6 million people Workers, elected leaders and invested so much of their lives who rely on food stamps to keep community supporters detailed into the health and well-being of The Trump Shutdown was the from going hungry. Roughly the crisis and shared stories others.” Marchers carried written longest government shutdown 4.8 million people who rely on about the impact of unfair wages, oversized prescriptions calling in America’s history, lasting 35 housing vouchers to pay rent lack of affordable healthcare for “Fair Wages,” “Industry-Wide days from Dec 22, 2018 – Jan. 25, would have faced eviction. coverage, short staffing, and lack Union,” and “Healthcare for 2019. However federal employees of investment in black and brown Healthcare Workers.” Trump held federal employees organized, mobilized, and rallied communities. “The hospital industry can and the millions of Americans the community in support of “No matter how hard I work, afford everything the workers are who rely on their services hostage ending the shutdown. Rallies I still can’t afford my rent, my asking for today. I know because for a border wall. American and actions were held across medications, food or utilities,” they rake in billions of dollars in Federation of Government the country. While in Chicago, said Tonya Carter, who works in revenue each year and some of Employees District 7 National members of Congress, Rev. Jesse admitting at Mt. Sinai. After 13 them operate like a corporation Vice-President Dorothy James Jackson, CFL Secretary-Treasurer years at the hospital, Carter makes with all the money stashed in said, “Our demand was simple: Don Villar and other community only $13.53 an hour, and is in the investments,” said Jeanette Taylor, open the government now, debate leaders and groups joined in process of moving herself, her then-candidate for Alderman in the wall later. Federal employees several rallies and numerous town PHOTO: SEIU HEALTHCARE PHOTO: AFGE DISTRICT 7 4 | FederationNews hall events with federal employees program. Candidates received a unions AFGE, NTEU, PASS, “crash course” in essential skills NATCA and more. for new apprentices, including The federal government is math, mechanical reasoning, and In Memoriam funded through September, but the visual-spatial skills. Candidates President has said that he may be also received guidance on Chicago labor lost a pioneer in home healthcare and willing to shut it down again. apprenticeship programs, as well child care organizing March 5 with the passing of as information about the value of Helen Miller. She was 82. unions in protecting wages and For nearly 25 years with SEIU Local 880, Helen Access United and safety on the job. was passionate about home healthcare workers The We Can Build It Coalition being treated with dignity and respect on the job and We Can Build It also supported the Chicago receiving the wages and benefits they deserved for Program Promote Regional Council of Carpenters in their hard work. running a similar four-day program, She was born May 26, 1936, in Louisville, Miss., Trades Opportunities modeled after IBEW’s successful and came to Chicago in 1955 looking for work. Jump Start program. Through In the late 1970s, Helen began working as a home Access United recently experienced that program, 13 additional healthcare provider for the City of Chicago and State success in reaching out to job candidates completed a similar of Illinois’ Department of Rehabilitation Services seekers in the South Shore crash course, preparing specifically (DORS), providing care for people with disabilities neighborhood about opportunities to compete for opportunities to and seniors. in the building trades. Access join the Carpenters’ apprenticeship Helen became one of the first members of the United, the CFL’s program program. Access United supported then-fledgling Local 880, an independent union designed to reduce barriers these candidates as well, providing founded by the national community group ACORN that exist for those who are referrals, application guidance and to organize low-wage workers. She quickly stood out underrepresented in the building administrative support. as a leader and served as a rank-and-file member, a trades, partnered with the We Can We Can Build It will also be steward, a member political organizer, Treasurer in Build It coalition. hosting a massive outreach event at 1986, Vice-President in 1989, and finally rising to The We Can Build It partners, the IBEW Local 134 Union Hall. President of Local 880 in 1999, serving until her which include experienced The event will include dozens of retirement in 2007.