Hundreds of O’Hare airport workers strike, demand $15 an hour
By June Leffler After the brunt of Thanksgiving travel, O’Hare workers pulled off a one-day strike to demand $15 an hour and safer working conditions. The Department of Aviation and Chicago Police Department said there were no disruptions or arrests during Tuesday’s action at O’Hare. O’Hare workers announced the strike last Monday, just days before […]
Cold turkey is bad enough. This year Thanksgiving presents the real scare of political cold war
By June Leffler Bringing up the election is ground zero for a cold war during Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone has a strong, contentious opinion, but it’s better to lay low to avoid total annihilation. Who hasn’t weighed in on how to deal with potential political discussions this Thanksgiving? Therapists, advice columnists, talk show hosts and their […]
Close to Thanksgiving, hundreds of O’Hare workers set to strike
By June Leffler [Update: On Mon., Nov. 21, SEIU Local 1 announced that the strike has been delayed until after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and is now set for Tues., Nov. 29] Baggage handlers, custodians, security officers and wheelchair attendants have voted to strike in the next few days, potentially through Thanksgiving weekend. Workers are […]
A Trump presidency is sobering for ex-offenders
By June Leffler A week before the presidential election, Lacey Stolzke was released from jail after serving 225 days. “I was never into politics, because I was so caught up in my drug use.” At 27 years old, she’s in treatment and living at Grace House, a halfway house for female ex-offenders who are recovering […]
Old boss same as new boss? Eyes on Kim Foxx in the wake of Anita Alvarez
By June Leffler Favored to handily win the race for Cook County State’s Attorney, Kim Foxx is promising reform in a post-Anita Alvarez era. Yet some voters and activists aren’t letting their guard down, saying they will hold whomever is in office accountable. For the March primary, Chicagoans’ frustration with State’s Attorney Alvarez spurred a […]
Bitter consequences: Pipeline protesters batten down the hatches for North Dakota winter
By Pat Nabong and June Leffler [Package of Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline stories here] CANNON BALL, NORTH DAKOTA — Opponents of a controversial oil pipeline being constructed near Standing Rock Sioux Reservation are about to face a bitter winter. Camping near tents near Cannonball River, current temperatures hover in the mid-30s and are […]
All-points call for more deputies to police Standing Rock protest draws critics
By June Leffler and Cloee Cooper [Package of Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline stories here] The words “Sheriff Mahoney, No Pipeline Guards, Bring Them Home” were found chalked outside a sheriff’s office in Madison, WI, last week in response to the deployment of deputies to North Dakota to police the protest of a […]
Can Columbus Day and Indigenous People’s Day co-exist?
By June Leffler [Package of Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline stories here] Chicago enters the debate over whether or not to celebrate Christopher Columbus, a man whose legacy has turned sour. Chicago designated Monday as Indigenous People’s Day, to be celebrated in conjunction with Columbus Day. Sharing the day might sound like a […]
Siding with Standing Rock at the Naperville Powwow
By June Leffler [Package of Standing Rock and the Dakota Access Pipeline stories here] Every year, west suburban Naperville welcomes the Harvest Powwow, a rare occasion for non-natives to experience some representation of what Native American culture is. This year, the powwow took a strong stance on environmental justice issues facing Native Americans.
