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Labor
Quick Hit
by Aricka Flowers
12:58pm
Tue Jan 31

Faith Leaders Call On Springfield To Raise The Minimum Wage

Illinois faith leaders are headed to Springfield this morning to call on legislators to raise the minimum wage. The religious leaders and members of the Raise Illinois coalition boarded an Amtrak train today to go to the state capitol to hold a press conference on the issue.

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Quick Hit
by Ellyn Fortino
10:41am
Mon Jan 30

Study: Low Wages For Restaurant Workers Costs More In The Long Run

Restaurant workers are paid far less than other occupations, but low wages actually mean higher costs for restaurants, a report published last week by Cornell University and Restaurant Opportunities Centers United shows.

The report, "Taking the High Road"—which included interviews with owners and various workers of 33 fine dining, quick-serve and other restaurants in eight U.S. cities including Chicago—found restaurant owners who pay their employees a livable wage with benefits and opportunities for advancement can still make a profit.
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Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
3:30pm
Fri Jan 27

Staff Floored By Hull House Closing

Hull House association logoThe Jane Addams Hull House Association, a sprawling, non-profit social service agency, will close shop today after 122 years – a move that Hull House staff contends was far too abrupt, especially since it meant the immediate removal of their health care benefits.

Mark Tisdale, a volunteer coordinator at Hull House, says that a group of employees might file a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor on behalf of the about 320 Hull House staff. Tisdale says that the office of Attorney General Lisa Madigan suggested filing the Labor Department complaint. Read more »

Quick Hit
by Matthew Blake
6:15pm
Wed Jan 25

Standoff Between City Colleges And Their “Frontline” Employees (VIDEO)

City Colleges logoA federal mediator waded into the almost two-year contract dispute between the City Colleges of Chicago and AFL-CIO Local 1708, which represents city college clerical and technical workers, as the workers staged a protest today outside City College headquarters. The dispute comes amid an ambitious “reinvention” of the system: Rahm Emanuel has declared city colleges the “frontline of our new economy.” Read more »