This morning at 8 AM, members of the Chicago IWW and supporters of Neal Rysdahl, an unpaid worker who was employed for a week at the Ideal Carwash in Chicago’s Albany Park, began a boycott and weekly protest of the business to protest the unfair treatment of Neil and other workers at the Carwash.

Supporters of Neil will be picketing the carwash until 1:00pm today. It is located at 3641 W. Montrose (between Monticello and Lawndale).

The picket got off to a noisy start, as a small but dedicated group of picketers with sign reading, “Ideal Car Wash Cheats Workers,” and “An Injury to One is an Injury to All!,” banged on drums and used other noise makers to support their chants of, “Labor theft is still a crime. Pay up Neal for his time,” and “Workers are not pawns. Slave labor is wrong”.

The owner of the business, who came out to speak with protesters, says he just bought the Carwash and claims it is not his responsibility to pay Neil. Picketers responded that the debts and payroll left by the old owner are indeed the responsibility of the new boss.

By 10 AM, about 10 people had gathered outside the carwash, and the new Humbolt Park Food Not Bombs was handing out coffee and snacks to the crowd.

In October, Albany Park resident Neal Rysdahl, a member of the IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) was employed at Ideal Car Wash, washing cars for $5.00/hour. At the end of the week, he was expecting $227.50 pay for 45.5 hours of work. Instead, Willard "Ray" Murray, Jr. and Eduardo "Eddie" Amanero, the managers of Ideal, refused to pay him.