Progress Illinois

Immigrant rights advocates, workers and other activists will march and rally in the city today in support of workers' rights and comprehensive immigration reform that provides a fair pathway to citizenship and stops deportations until a new law is passed.

Members of SEIU* Local 1 and the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) prepared for the May Day event yesterday by making signs and hashing out final details for the rallies. 

"Having immigration reform is going to help a lot of families fix their status and come out of the shadows and stop living in fear," said Graciela Vergara, chair of the SEIU Central Region Latino Caucus, at the sign making event. "A lot of our people in our community live in fear, because they’re not here legally ... and we know that a lot of companies, a lot of employers have been doing E-Verify. A lot of families have been affected." Read more »

Phlebotomists employed by LifeSource are being forced to work long hours for little pay, according to one worker who spoke to the need for union representation at the Thompson Center in Chicago today.

Tiffany Walker, 41, is one of 160 LifeSource phlebotomists being provided the opportunity to vote Friday to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW), Local 881.

“We haven’t had a voice for a very long time,” said Walker, an Auburn-Gresham resident and LifeSource phlebotomist of five years.

“If we get union representation, maybe we’ll be able to stand up and speak for ourselves, and hopefully change some of our rough work conditions and make a living wage.”

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The following was written by Jorge Ramirez, president of the Chicago Federation of Labor.

One positive side effect of Congress passing comprehensive immigration reform would be an increase in workplace safety and a reduction in the staggering number of fatalities, injuries and illnesses suffered by workers on the job in the United States.

The debate over the most sweeping reform to our nation’s immigration system provides added significance as we honor Workers Memorial Day on April 28, remembering those who were killed, injured or became seriously ill because of their job.

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