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Chicago Indymedia

LOCAL Announcement :: Labor

Pilsen Labor Organizer Attacked

For more than a year, workers at a grocery store in Pilsen have been trying to form a union and have faced the most egregious union-busting tactics from the store's owners who have done everything from create a company union, cut down workers hours, intimidation and a host of other unfair labor practices.
Forwarded from Chicago Interfaith Committee on Worker Issues. Submitted by Tom Cordaro, Legislative Advocacy Committee member.

On Tuesday night, Alfonso Diaz's car was fire bombed in front of his house in Pilsen. For the past year, Alfonso has been leading the way to organize a union at his workplace, a grocery store called La Casa del Pueblo, located at 18th & Blue Island.

Last fall, Alfonso was featured in a story in the CICWI newsletter, where we reported that over 80% of the workers at the store had experienced wage & hour violations or other worker rights abuses. Last week, the National Labor Relations Board concluded a months-long investigation of Unfair Labor Practices and reached a settlement with the store, requiring the store to pay over $30,000 in back wages to several workers who had been laid off or had their hours cut in retaliation for their organizing activities. The store also had to post a sign promising not to engage in any of a two-and-a-half page list of illegal union busting activities that workers had reported experiencing at the store.

While no evidence has been found tying the fire bombing to the owner of the store, there is wide speculation that this crime could be a response to the settlement and the latest and most egregious retaliation that Alfonso and his coworkers have experienced for their union activities.


YOU CAN HELP!

1) Pray for the safety and strength of Alfonso, his family, and the rest of the workers at La Casa del Pueblo.

2) Make a donation to help Alfonso and his family. The car that was destroyed was his family's only vehicle. Donations of any amount will help; please make checks out to CICWI, and put Alfonso Diaz in the memo line. Mail them to CICWI, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr, 4th floor, Chicago, IL 60660. If you would like to enclose a note of encouragement to Alfonso and his family, please do so and we will pass those along to him. Please try to put your donation in the mail by Wednesday, May 18.

If you have a car in good repair that you would like to donate to Alfonso, please contact Antonia Dempsey right away at 773-728-8400 x31
or adempsey (at) nicwj.org to discuss this further.
 
 

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