The Army Corps asked for $3.85 million for the Harbor Lock next year. It may get less than $300k. Close followers of Harbor Lock news will remember it from Sept, when Border Patrol docked near it after conducting a river cruise whilst armed with rifles www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/c...

Weeks before Border Patrol started raiding rideshare lots at O'Hare, an advocate warned the city that might happen: "Our organization is concerned that the lot may become a target for ICE raids" No one responded until feds touched down at O'Hare 3 weeks later www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/o...

Advocate warned city that feds might target rideshare drivers at O’Hare weeks before airport raids, and the city did not respond, emails show. Story by @taliasoglin.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/04/o...

In Little Village, workers have been on strike for immigration protections at Mauser Packaging Solutions for the last four months. Now, the company says it's closing the plant down: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/06/m...

Broadview, 8:40 a.m.

Jewel-Osco pharmacy division argues (via outside counsel Littler Mendelson) that the NLRA is unconstitutional Follows similar arguments made by employers including: SpaceX, Amazon, Trader Joe's, USC, Grindr, Portillo's, etc etc etc www.chicagotribune.com/2025/06/23/j...

disappointing and will have serious consequences for Chicago. sadly unsurprising coming from the ethically-challenged folk at Alden Global Capital

Teamsters from around the country, including Sean O'Brien, were in downtown Chicago today demanding union recognition for Cook County prosecutors. Context: Eileen O'Neill Burke made a campaign pledge to recognize a prosecutors' union, but has not done so: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/04/16/i...

The Department of Labor sent a memo to staffers today warning them against speaking to the media: "Individuals who disclose confidential information or engage in unauthorized communications with the media may face serious legal consequences—including potential criminal penalties"

Dems support labor, but unionization efforts in public offices are facing pushback, incl. from State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke, who said during the campaign she'd be "honored" to be part of the union effort. Glad @taliasoglin.bsky.social dug in: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/04/16/i...

In Illinois, public employees sometimes find that their employers' enthusiasm for labor doesn't extend to their own efforts to unionize: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/04/16/i...

“Per population, the death toll of Palestinian journalists is roughly equivalent to the killing of 8,500 U.S. newsroom employees.” watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/p...

Really big loss for UFCW in Chicago this week — Tony’s workers voted 1,115 to 605 against unionizing www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/28/t...

One of the biggest union elections so far this year is taking place in Chicago this week: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/25/2...

In federal agency chaos news, the SBA is moving *an* office out of Chicago, but the agency does *not* appear to have any plans to move its district office out of the city — that's where small business owners go to get help with loans, etc www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/07/s...

Housing specialists working for the Cook County housing authority don't make enough money to afford a two-bedroom apartment in Cook County, by Lizzie Kane: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/25/c...

UFCW is trying to organize grocery workers at Tony's Fresh Market, which was bought by private equity three years ago — if they win these elections, this would add 2,400 Chicago area grocery workers to the union's membership: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/25/g...

Trader Joe's United just got a decision in its favor in a contested election in Chicago. But Trader Joe's says it will appeal the order, setting the case up to stall indefinitely in front of the currently paralyzed labor board: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/19/t...

Cook County prosecutors are seeking a union with the Teamsters www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/11/c... (Cook County PDs are already unionized with AFSCME)

Against a backdrop of looming existential threats to both the Department of Education and federal labor law, in Chicago we have this situation: www.chicagotribune.com/2025/02/07/i... with @nellsalzman.bsky.social and @royalpratt.bsky.social

RAs at UIC could be among the first unionized undergrads in IL, after a UofC student library worker unit in 2017 Happening as questions remain about whether a new Republican labor board might curtail student workers' right to organize in the private sector www.chicagotribune.com/2025/01/30/u...

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration made a big deal about pushing for a city-owned grocery store and said they’d pursue state money for the program. But records dug up by @taliasoglin.bsky.social show they didn’t even apply. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/01/06/j...

The DOL is trying to return $4.2 million in unpaid wages recovered via minimum wage/overtime investigations to Illinois workers search by employer here: webapps.dol.gov/wow/

HelloFresh is under investigation by US DOL for alleged child labor in Aurora, IL. An organizer said teenagers were found working night shifts there This comes days after Hearthside settled a state child labor investigation in IL (feds still investigating) www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/09/h...

Hearthside has agreed to settle an Illinois child labor probe for $4.5 million, pending approval by a Texas bankruptcy judge. IL AG's office: "children belong in classrooms, not manufacturing facilities" www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/06/h...

Pappas to Preckwinkle jacket hand off moment captured by @briancassella.bsky.social

how Chicago does gift giving: Maria Pappas gave Toni Preckwinkle one of her jackets (of jacket calendar fame). on @goolsbee.bsky.social's Christmas list? 2% inflation and a renewable membership to the Illinois Mycological Association gift story gift link: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/05/i...

SEIU is threatening to sue CPS over the "existential threat" of a CTU proposal it says would take special ed jobs from SEIU. CTU says its proposal is about putting pressure on the district to fill those jobs www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/03/s... w @royalpratt.bsky.social @nellsalzman.bsky.social

SEIU 73 threatening lawsuit over CTU contract proposal they believe would take special ed jobs away. This union conflict is a big deal with significant potential political fallout short/long-term. Story with @taliasoglin.bsky.social and @nellsalzman.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2024/12/03/s...

Reminder that this is tonight! Come thru!

monday! lakeview!

Important context: Johnson admin knew of sexism, verbal abuse complaints many months earlier. We previously reported on 3 workers fired after complaining about mistreatment in August 2023. Story, with @jake-sheridan.bsky.social and @aliceyin.bsky.social www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/26/m...

Hearthside Food Solutions, which is under investigation by the U.S. and Illinois labor departments for alleged child labor violations (following NYT investigation last year), has filed for Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/25/d...

Howard Brown must pay $1.3 million in backpay/benefits to workers the NLRB alleged it illegally laid off: www.chicagotribune.com/2024/11/22/h...

Illinois workers can now search for $$ recovered for them via Illinois Department of Labor wage theft investigations on the state’s I-CASH website: icash.illinoistreasurer.gov

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals will hear two NLRB constitutionality cases on Monday (SpaceX and Amazon), per the labor board The companies are two of an increasingly long list that have raised constitutional challenges to the agency either in lawsuits or in labor board filings/hearings

Popular Chicago historian Shermann Dilla Thomas had a six-figure, safe union day job at ComEd — then he took the CEO’s suggestion and ended up canned. From @neilsteinberg.bsky.social: chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/2...