The following was written by Mike Reed of Sheridan, IL, courtesy of MoveOn.org.
Anyone expecting dry statistical evidence at the Warehouse Workers for Justice meeting last Thursday at Mount Carmel Church in Joliet heard instead many personal and gripping stories of sexual harassment and assault—delivered by half a dozen of the victims themselves.
Originally hailed by local chambers of commerce and city officials as a means of easing the high unemployment rate in their respective areas, local chambers of commerce and city officials assured the public that building the warehouse system would be a boon to the economy as people hired to work within such structures would be given the opportunity to earn a living wage and be accorded benefits. The picture painted was a rosy one.
Unfortunately, this system quickly turned out to benefit hardly anyone but the management and owners of these warehouses, and for a long time not only have the women employees earned far less than men who do the same work, but they have been subjected to much intimidation, both psychological and physical.
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