Workers rally for higher wages, allege wage theft with Joliet temp agency
Lauren Leone-Cross
JOLIET — Nearly three dozen warehouse workers who distribute cups for McDonald’s rallied Wednesday in downtown Joliet for higher wages while also alleging that Elite Staffing — a temp agency — stole workers’ wages.
The Joliet protest was part of a series of “Fight for $15” protests planned across the country — one of the biggest national pushes yet for a minimum wage hike.
Along with a call for higher wages, the rally served another purpose: To let Elite know workers filed a lawsuit in Cook County earlier that morningclaiming they are not being compensated for all hours worked at packaging companies in Will and Cook counties.
Tara Anderson, 45, of Joliet, was among those protesting outside the temp agency. She said she worked for Elite from August 2013 to December 2014 before being let go.
“They made an email saying to fire me, to give me my last check … because I kept calling for money that they owed me, that they docked out of my pay,” Anderson said. “[The agency] told me they have so many workers that I should understand they made a mistake. I don’t need to understand. It was Christmas time. I needed my money.”
Workers alleged they are required to show up as early as 3:30 a.m. for a 6 a.m. shift. Then Elite often buses them from warehouse to warehouse, only to be repeatedly turned away and sent home, said Mark Meinster, with Warehouse Workers for Justice, which organized the rally.