January 3 - 9, 2024

January 3 - 9, 2024 Vol. 32 No. 01

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4 Arts & Entertainment 6 SportsWise 7 Eatwise

Event highlights of the week!

The SportsWise team reviews the ups and downs of the sporting world in 2023.

StreetWise Vendor Kimberly Brown visits New Taste of Chicago in Roseland.

8 Cover Story: Top Stories of 2023

Editor Suzanne Hanney ranks the most impactful stories featured in StreetWise through the year.

10 From the Streets

Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa, authors of the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “His Name is George Floyd” visit Printers Row Lit Fest for a panel discussion.

12 Voice of the streets: Op-ed

Dr. Victor Devinatz looks at the state of the Fight for $15 movement.

15 The Playground

THIS PAGE: A Venezuelan migrant uses Google Translate to communicate with non-Spanish speaking Chicagoans (Suzanne Hanney photo). DISCLAIMER: The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or positions of StreetWise.

Dave Hamilton, Creative Director/Publisher

dhamilton@streetwise.org

StreetWiseChicago @StreetWise_CHI

Suzanne Hanney, Editor-In-Chief

suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

Amanda Jones, Director of programs

ajones@streetwise.org

Julie Youngquist, Executive director

jyoungquist@streetwise.org

Ph: 773-334-6600 Office: 2009 S. State St., Chicago, IL, 60616

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT RECOMMENDATIONS Compiled by Dave Hamilton

Sail Into the New Year!

Chicago’s Boating Event of the Year at McCormick Place Cruising into the Windy City January 10-14, the 2024 Discover Boating Chicago Boat Show, in partnership with Progressive Insurance, a nearly century-old tradition is returning. As one of Chicago’s most iconic events and a Midwest boating destination, the 2024 Chicago Boat Show is ready to welcome boating enthusiasts and newcomers to discover why life is better on the water. The event transforms McCormick Place, located at 2301 S. Lake Shore Dr., into a boating marketplace and nautical oasis in the middle of winter and is the ideal place to explore and plan your next boating adventure. Shows will take place on January 10 from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m., January 11 from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., January 12 from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., January 13 from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and January 14 from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Tickets $13 at chicagoboatshow.com

Leading in Chicago!

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Midland Authors Presents 'Chicago’s Modern Mayors' The Society of Midland Authors and Chicago Public Library are pleased to present a panel discussion, Chicago’s Modern Mayors, featuring Betty O’Shaughnessy, Monroe Anderson, Dennis Judd, Kari Lyderson, Daniel Bliss, moderated by Dick Simpson (pictured). The free program on January 9 at 6 p.m., at the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 S. State St., is based on the book “Chicago’s Modern Mayors,” edited by former Midland Authors President Dick Simpson and Betty O’Shaughnessy. The modern mayors are Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, Richard M. Daley, Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot.

Your Family Tree!

Genealogy 101: An Introduction to Genealogical Research at the Newberry In this free introductory workshop on January 6 at 9:30 a.m., Newberry librarians will help you get started with genealogical research. This workshop will be held in-person at the Newberry, located at 60 W. Walton St. Aimed at researchers new to the library and/or new to genealogical research, this session will last an hour and will cover basic principles of building a family tree, genealogy collection strengths and effective search strategies. Following the orientation, you are welcome to stick around for a guided tour of the library. You can also begin exploring Newberry’s collections in the General Reading Room, where a reference librarian can provide assistance.

Sounds of the Season!

At South Shore Cultural Center: New World Perspectives Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony has captivated generations of listeners with its majestic fanfare and yearning themes. Written during the Czech composer’s first sojourn in New York City, the piece draws on his impressions of spirituals and folk melodies, creating a unique musical vision of America. William Dawson – a Civic trombonist from 1927-1930 – evokes his own heritage and point of view in the emotionally rich and masterly crafted Negro Folk Symphony, composed in 1934 in Chicago. This event takes place on January 8 starting at 7:30 p.m., at South Shore Cultural Center, 7059 S. South Shore Drive. Metered parking is available on the premises. Tickets are free with reservations, required at cso.org

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Mystery & Intrique!

Northlight Theatre “Dial M For Murder” Tony Wendice married his wife Margot for money, neglected her, got jealous of her affair and now he wants her dead. In his meticulous planning of the perfect crime, Tony spins a web of suspicion and deception that will ensnare them both in this edge-of-your-seat adaptation of a modern classic. Show times at North Shore Center, located at 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, are on January 3 at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., January 4 at 7:30 p.m., January 5 at 7:30 p.m., January 6 at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and January 7 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets $46+ at northshorecenter.org

Lit For All!

Get Lit: Public Domain Party Start the new year off right with a literary soiree like no other! Join the American Writers Museum on January 9 at 5:30 p.m. Raise your glasses to welcome an exciting array of new works entering the public domain in 2024. Get ready to rediscover, reimagine and revel in the riches of the public domain at this month’s Get Lit. Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime celebration at the American Writers Museum, located at 180 N. Michigan Ave., where creativity knows no bounds! Guests must be 21+ to attend. Tickets $18+ at americanwritersmuseum.org

Classics Live!

Le Consort at University of Chicago This leading Baroque ensemble of four young musicians from Paris brings a delightful program showing the immense expressive range and creativity of Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli, Purcell, Rameau and others. You will also hear two magnificent settings of “Follia” – the era’s most recognizable melody, and one which still resonates today. The performance will take place on January 9 at 7:30 p.m., located at the Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th St. Tickets $10+ at chicagopresents.uchicago.edu

Hunk of Burning Love!

Elvis Tribute Artist Spectacular Come toast Elvis Presley’s 89th birthday on January 5 at 8 p.m. with the annual Elvis Tribute Artist Spectacular concert that celebrates each era of the King's musical career. The concert, located at North Shore Center, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie, begins with the early rockability years, then the military years, the movie years, the '68 comeback special in black leather; the show closes with the Las Vegas concert years. Tickets $39.50+ at northshorecenter.org

Skate Away!

Silver Skates at Midway Plaisance Come check out children and adult skaters in the Annual Silver Skates Speed Skating Competition at Midway Plaisance Park, 1130 Midway Plaisance N. on January 9 and January 10 from 5:15 p.m. until 7:15 p.m. on both days. Adult skaters are invited to an 18 and over meet immediately following the children’s meet. Participants must wear gloves, long sleeves and a bicycle or hockey helmet. Figure skates, hockey skates or speed skates must be worn at all times. Skates will be available free of charge at all meets. Free registration required at endurancecui.active.com

A Belated Christmas Celebration!

Mariah Carey Christmas Drag Brunch Chicago W hat is CHRISTMAS without Mariah Carey? Join in celebrating Christmas (a couple days late) in the decked out Walnut Room at Macy's, 111 N. State St. January 6, 2-4 p.m. Starring Chicago drag icon Lucy Stoole.

Costumes or Christmas attire welcome! Seating is first come, first serve. Arriving early with your entire party is recommended to ensure seating together. Tickets $20+ at macysrestaurants.com .

www.streetwise.org

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Vendors (l-r) John Hagan, Ewoynne Warren and Russell Adams chat about the world of sports.

the 2023 sporting year in review

John: Today we are going to talk about the last year in sports. The good, the bad and ugly: NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, hockey, even women's sports.

Ewoynne: I'm with Chicago I'm gonna stick with my Chicago Bears. They’re gonna do something this year. My bad: it’s like they haven't glued together, they're not clicking yet together. The ugly is, there is a new guy they got.

SPORTSWISE

Russell: My good is the Bears beat Minnesota, first win in a long time. The bad is the Bulls, they all messed up.

Can’t win a game. Can’t get along with the coaches, players complaining. My ugly: the White Sox, what happened to them boys? They were supposed to be contenders, now they are pretenders again, no improvements.

John: Well, my good was the way that Cubs came on at the end of the season. They were within a game and a half of first-place Milwaukee, and then they came up short. Had they beaten the Diamondbacks, they would have qualified as one of the wildcard entries in the Major League Baseball playoffs. But

still, seeing how they developed and now they upgraded manager-wise in hiring Craig Counsell. It seems the Cubs really want to get out there and get another World Series or two, not just sit on being 2016 World Series Champion, being a bunch of oneyear wonders like the Chicago Bears in 1985 and the Chicago White Sox of 2005.

And the bad, Chicago teams are not serious contenders as far as playoffs, although I do see the Bears have improved a little bit. The Chicago Bulls and the Chicago Blackhawks are still a ways away. Same with the White Sox. As far as my ugly – what has happened to the Bulls? I know they beat the Milwaukee Bucks right before the end of November. I won’t say they were championship material, but I felt they would be at least seed No. 5 or No. 6, get to the playoff round and maybe second round. But

what I have seen of the Bulls this year has been ugly. They lost six or seven games prior to the win over Milwaukee.

Any other final thoughts?

Ewoynne: Well, you got to watch out for this young rookie on the Blackhawks.

This kid, he got me watching hockey. He don't even know he has a fan base in the ’hood.

He's real good. He's like a Michael Jordan of hockey.

Russell: Connor Bedard, No. 1 draft pick for the Blackhawks. A lot better than the Cubs and Bulls. Well, the Cubs made improvements, at least they’re trying. The White Sox, the Bulls and the Bears: they’re not trying hard enough. They draft the wrong person. They trade the wrong person. They leave Chicago, go somewhere else, get good.

John: The best example’s Jim Harbaugh. When he was a

Chicago Bear, he was a third string quarterback. He went to Indianapolis, led them to the AFC Championship Game, went to the Pro Bowl, and like Roger Staubach, was named Captain Comeback, part 2.

As far as the Blackhawks, they do seem to be on the upgrade this year. We might see something different in 2024, seeing that they have made significant improvements, and then in the end get we a free agent or two.

And the Cubs, I think they’ll make the playoffs next year.

The White Sox and Bulls, it's like you want to take a Tums after you get done watching them.

Any comments, suggestions or topic ideas for the SportsWise team? Email StreetWise Editor Suzanne Hanney at suzannestreetwise@yahoo.com

New taste of chicago New Taste of Chicago stays busy with a large crowd of customers. They are open almost 24 hours a day, from 9 a.m. – 2 a.m.

I came in at 5:30 p.m. and ordered fried chicken wings and fries. The wings were cooked just right. They were medium sized, not too big and not too small. The wings were crispy, but not greasy. The wings came out so hot, they were a little too (temperature) hot to be eaten at first. The restaurant gave me so many French fries that I had fries to eat the next day. I spent $8.25, which was $9.10 with tax.

by Sarah Luczko

Kimberly Brown

New Taste of Chicago is a take-out restaurant with a wide selection of Chicago favorites. They make a variety of different foods, including tacos, hamburgers, gyros, hot dogs, polishes, fish fillets, burritos, chicken wings, chicken fingers, submarines, steak with salads, and chicken pitas. All the sandwiches come with fries, but not pop, that’s extra.

Onion Rings; the exterior of New Taste of Chicago; the Jim Shoe sandwich; menu board; wings.

New Taste of Chicago Location: 11101 S. Michigan Ave. Roseland neighborhood Price Range: $6 - 15 / per person (Not including drinks)

I will definitely come back to Hours: New Taste of Chicago. I am a 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. daily regular customer, and I have been coming to The Taste years. The restaurant staff is very polite. They are considerate business people, and they are very courteous to customers, which means a lot.

I recommend their burritos, tacos, super tacos, gyros, submarine sandwiches, and double cheeseburger. I also love their strawberry soda.

EATWISE

I have known Tommy, one of the cashiers on staff for years. He has been with The Taste for the past five years. I know him from living in Pullman, and I know his wife. He’s a very good worker, and he does his job very well. The rest of the staff are also excellent, and easy to get along with. I’ve always had a good relationship with the staff. I’ll be back again soon.

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Austin Eats

5.

THE

January 30-February 5 Austin is Chicago’s largest neighborhood geographically and second largest in terms of population, with nearly 100,000 residents, but it has limited options for buying fresh produce.

Each of them is more than a mile apart.

Austin Coming Together rejects the term “food desert,” and instead calls disinvestment there “food apartheid.” It coordinates the 75% Black community with median household income of $35,000 around a quality-of-life plan that includes stable housing, improved education and safety. Austin Eats specifically focuses on providing access to food through a combination of food pantries, groceries, and gardens.

Forty Acres Fresh Market is a Black woman-owned mobile grocery business; proprietor Liz Abunaw is an Austin Eats member. Forty Acres Fresh Market runs seasonal pop-ups and year-round delivery service and is working on opening a brick-and-mortar store. Construction began in September at 5713 W. Chicago Ave. Austin Harvest is a youth-led, open air fresh produce market. High school students in the By the Hand Club started the pop-up in a former liquor store at 423 N. Laramie; students distributed 75,000 pounds of food provided by the Greater Chicago Food Depository, funded by Chicago COVID response money. They are building an adjacent permanent structure.

Austin Eats also supports 24 community gardens in the neighborhood.

Chicago Votes

TOP STOR OF 20

compiled by Suzann

4.

COVER STORY

February 20-26 StreetWise asked all nine mayoral candidates in the February 28 election the same two questions. True to our niche, the first question asked their thoughts on how to prevent displacement of low-income Chicagoans and retain the middle-class amid gentrification; the second asked their ideas for solving homelessness and whether or not they supported the proposed Bring Chicago Home ordinance; at that time the proposal would raise the Real Estate Transfer Tax (RETT), a one-time tax paid when properties are sold, by 1.9 percentage points on properties over $1 million, with funding to go to permanent housing with services.

For reasons of space and fairness, we asked for a combined response of 500 words; longer answers were edited to a uniform length.

Ahead of the April 4 runoff election, the responses from Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson were repeated in the March 29-April 4 edition of StreetWise.

Johnson, the eventual winner, said he supported Bring Chicago Home, while Vallas said he supported its objectives, but opposed its methodology as a new tax.

Johnson also said that he opposed “land grabs” and private partnerships for the Chicago Housing Authority in favor of local processes to rebuild public housing. He wanted to strengthen tenant protection and pathways to home ownership and to cap property tax hikes according to rental income.

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Pilsen Tax Hike

3.

March 29-April 4 Rising real estate prices on neighboring homes and businesses – gentrification – is just one contributor to higher property taxes across Chicago. In Pilsen, taxes are up 46 percent over last year. A homeowner and a Mom and Pop business told StreetWise they worry about coming up with cash to pay the bill – and about also how long they can afford to remain in a community they have loved and nurtured.

Property taxes also rose in Northwest Side neighborhoods like Avondale (27%), Irving Park (21%), Logan Square (18%) and North Center (11%). However, taxes went down in struggling neighborhoods where prices also fell: West Garfield Park (-45%), Fuller Park (-46%), Englewood (-44%).

Aside from “market forces,” or rising prices for surrounding real state, a second factor behind higher property tax bills is higher levies to meet the budgets of the City of Chicago (up $94 million) and the Chicago Public Schools (up $114 million).

The Pilsen Neighbors Community Council wanted a moratorium on late fees for paying property taxes, so that unpaid bills did not go on a scavenger sale list. However, collecting real estate taxes by the due date is written into state law, because the money is needed to pay for police, fire, schools, etc.

RIES 023

ne Hanney

Suicide Prevention Line

2.

September 27-October 3 In July 2022, the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline switched to a three-digit number: 988. The idea was to make mental health services more accessible, a need exacerbated by the pandemic.

Funding comes from the federal government, often through state grants by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), but it is up to the states to ensure permanent funding. Illinois created a state trust fund for the 988 Lifeline and transferred $5 million from the state’s 911 fund.

A year after its launch, call volume shows the need for the 24/7 lifeline, Andy Wade, executive director of the Illinois chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) told StreetWise. Between July 2022 and 2023, more than 147,000 calls were routed through the six call centers in Illinois, with increasing numbers each month.

All Illinois counties are covered by the 988 Lifeline, which meets SAMHSA’s goal of access to 90 percent of the state by the end of 2023. The answer rate has also progressively improved, with an in-state answer rate of 90 percent expected by April 2024. Average wait time was 30 seconds.

Success, however, depends on accessible mental health and crisis response services statewide. “All of the equity issues you see in primary care certainly walk over to mental health,” Wade said. In 2020, deaths by suicide in Cook County significantly rose in Black communities, mostly men and youth.

A trained workforce in mental health is needed in both urban low-income, and rural, communities with limited or no healthcare access, but it is insufficient now. Diversity in this workforce is also key to overcoming stigma and reaching people who need help, particularly in traditionally underserved communities.

1.

Chicago's Migrant Crisis

November 29-December 5 Nearly 26,000 migrants have come to Chicago from the southern border of the U.S. since August 2022. Mayor Brandon Johnson’s inauguration last May coincided with the ending of Title 42, a public health act invoked by the Trump administration during COVID, so 482 buses have arrived since then. Determined to spend none of his own state’s money on the migrants, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began sending them to sanctuary cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles.

The majority fled Venezuela due to political unrest, economic stagnation and inflation.

They have camped out at Chicago police district stations and more than 22 shelters across the city. One shelter is at a former hotel off Michigan Avenue for 1,500 people. A park in the Austin neighborhood used by youth football and senior citizens was also initially proposed as a shelter, until it was challenged in court. The most controversial was a winterized tent “base camp” in the Southwest Side Brighton Park neighborhood, which was almost complete when it was halted by environmental concerns December 5.

The migrant crisis has exposed a lack of infrastructure to deal with the refugee emergency – which speaks also to inadequate resources for people who were already homelessness here. During a City Club of Chicago luncheon October 30, officials acknowledged the “what about me?” reaction from many long-time underserved residents.

But, “it's not ‘either/or, it’s both:’” the system for both existing homeless services and refugees must become one, officials said, while also admitting to creating the refugee relief system on the fly. Some new programs – such as training volunteers at police stations to triage people in mental health crises – can also be used for Chicagoans who have experienced other traumas. Meanwhile, Chicago is on a global stage, because it has not closed its doors.

Simultaneously, Chicago has absorbed 30,000 Ukrainian refugees, largely because their long-standing immigrant community has provided their own resources.

www.streetwise.org

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His name is George Floyd authors at printers row lit fest

by Antonette Brotman

Say his name: George Floyd. A name known around the world that sparks intense emotions like anger, sadness and hope. Ironically, a name that has become synonymous with racial justice and police reform, George Floyd isn’t what his family and loved ones remember him by; he was lovingly known as Perry and Big Floyd to those closest to him. Authors Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa wrote the Pulitzer Prize-winning book “His Name is George Floyd,” which delves into the history of the man we have all come to recognize, but don’t fully understand.

“What we hope people would understand is that by nature of being human, what is his humanity,” said Samuels.

Washington Post journalists Samuels and Olorunnipa collected more than 400 interviews over a year’s time, totaling hundreds of hours of recorded data from everyone whom Floyd knew, loved and inspired.

“It opened up a lot of avenues that really allowed people to bring George Floyd's voice into the into the book,” said Olorunnipa as a keynote speaker during the Printers Row Lit Fest in September. “He was the kind of person who was memorable. People would mimic him and sort of embody themselves with his voice and his mannerisms and reenact situations.” Friends, family, even teachers found themselves back in the past with Floyd during the interviews. Olorunnipa and Samuels were able to recreate those moments and memories in the book and, as Olorunnipa put it, “write it as if the reader were in the room with George Floyd.”

FROM THE STREETS

The authors let their sources know from the beginning that they would support them, allowing them to “process, grieve and publicly express themselves” freely. Olorunnipa said that they encouraged the kin to “talk about what they remember about George Floyd outside of the icon that he became in the immediate aftermath of his death.”

The authors also knew that in order to understand the systemic racism, they needed to trace back the Floyd family tree. After confirming oral history with public documents (like census records, marriage certificates and property records), Olorunnipa and Samuels tell the beginning of the end to the George Floyd story.

It started in North Carolina during the mid-1800's when Floyd’s great-great-grandfather Hillary Thomas Stewart was born into slavery. He was later freed after the Civil War. Stewart worked hard building wealth for his legacy, acquiring more than 500 acres of land in a time and place where men were either rich or Black, but never both. Laws were quickly forged, and the land was ultimately seized. Having their for-

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tune stripped away, Stewart and his family were forced to work as sharecroppers, and embarked on a road that would lead them through the deep-rooted poverty-stricken years, holding them back for over a century.

“They were never able to build the American dream and the generational wealth that hard work normally provides for a family that lives in this country for generations and generations,” said Samuels.

Floyd was large in stature, with a heart to match. Floyd saw people for who they wanted to be and greeted everyone with a compliment. When he entered a room, he would introduce himself and shake hands with everyone in an attempt to ease any tension or nervousness prompted by his size. “People look at me and get nervous and scared, so I open up to them, let them know I’m okay.”

During his high school years, Floyd focused on playing football.

“They say the way people get out of the neighborhood is to play sports,” Samuels began. “So that's what he invested in.

That's what the educational system offers.” He further explained that there are not many opportunities left when the dream of playing professional sports fades away, besides participating in the illegal underground economy.

Olorunnipa and Samuels uncovered at least 13 of Floyd’s interactions with the law enforcement in his overpoliced neighborhood.

Growing up, his mother had a motto when regarding police and authority: “Always comply, always be respectful. Make it home alive.” A gruesome foretelling of the day he wouldn’t make it back home alive, simply because being Black in America is its own preexisting condition.

A portion of the book is given to Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed Floyd. Even though Chauvin and his lawyers refused the authors’ multiple requests for comment and interview, there is enough public documentation to warrant a solid chapter on Chauvin and police brutality.

“His Name is George Floyd” authors Toluse Okorunnipa (left) and Robert Samuels (right) with WBEZ’s Natalie Y. Moore (center) at Printers Row Lit Fest.

(Annette Brotman photo)

“Emotionally, [writing the book] was a challenge because there are some dark moments. There were some really tough interviews. Even though we knew the end of the story, the cadence of the story, the roller coaster of George Floyd’s life was even difficult for us to process,” added Olorunnipa.

During his life, Floyd kept a journal full of entries and poems that he had written about his experiences, thoughts and situations.

The writings show "the mental toll that it takes to be a Black person in America,” Samuels said. Upon reviewing his own lifepath, Floyd admitted that he became what he so badly wanted to avoid: an unemployed man who lives with his mom, spending time on the corner.

“The last thing George Floyd wrote to himself said essentially ‘my life’s a mess, I have Coronavirus, I don't have any money, [I have] a drug dependency: life sucks, but life never really sucks.’ The fact that he thought that life never really sucks, to me, illustrates the sense of hope that we can all have a better future,” said Samuels.

“I think the ultimate message is feeling like you can have the ability to craft something better for yourself and your country,” said Samuels, weighing the Movement against the individual. ”It's a reminder to us that there is a call for the continued thinking and necessary discussion about the roots of our problems in this country, many of which are mired in systemic racism,” added Olorunnipa.

He continues, “but it also reminds us that we, as a people, have the ability to craft the next chapter of the American story by George Floyd.”

The fight for racial justice cannot be separated from the name George Floyd, and it is about all of us coming together to fight for Black civil liberties.

www.streetwise.org

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Fight for $15: analyzing the movement's successes and challenges after a decade (op-ed)

by Dr. Victor Devinatz

VOICE OF THE STREETS OP-ED

The Fight for $15 (FFF) movement was launched on Nov. 29, 2012, when more than 100 employees, earning the minimum wage, in New York City (NYC) fast food restaurants, including Burger King, Domino’s, McDonald’s, Papa John’s, Pizza Hut and Wendy’s, engaged in a walkout for increased wages, improved working conditions and the right to establish a union without reprisals from management. Although the initial FFF activists were fast-food employees, the movement expanded to include low-wage workers engaging in strikes in the childcare, home healthcare and retail industries, for example. With the backing of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), a major objective of the FFF movement was to promote the raising of the $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage, set in 2009, to $15 an hour. The FFF campaign participants considered their movement to be an extension of Dr. Martin Luther King’s (MLK) interracial Poor People’s Campaign, a nationwide attempt to activate and solidarize low-wage workers, which collapsed after MLK’s April 1968 assassination. Although the FFF movement has raised US low-wage workers’ pay over the last decade and has kept the public’s attention focused on wage inequality, challenges remain in encouraging more grassroots participation among these workers in promoting unionization to consolidate these employees’ gains.

One of the FFF’s primary tactics is the one-day strike, more of a symbolic gesture than a strategy designed to exert economic pressure on employers. Because the 1935 National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) prevents employers from firing workers who engage in walkouts, these strikes’ short duration prevents the replacing of these employees, legal under the NLRA. These work stoppages proliferated from 2013 to 2015 including 200 NYC workers striking on April 4, 2013, while 500 workers walked out in Chicago on April 24. Hundreds of employees participated in similar actions in Detroit, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and Seattle throughout May 2013. A nationwide strike occurred on Sept. 4, 2014, when fast food workers struck in 150 cities along with thousands of home care workers who also engaged in sit-ins and civil disobedience actions, resulting in hundreds of arrests. On April 15, 2015, in what has been characterized as the largest US labor action of low-wage employees, an estimated 60,000 workers engaged in walkouts in 200 cities along with home care employees, childcare workers and Walmart employees, for example.

The FFF movement has been effective in raising state and city minimum wages. States that have implemented legislation increasing their minimum wages in steps to $15 per hour include California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Il-

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linois, Nebraska, New Jersey, and New York (only the downstate portion). Most of these states are politically liberal, except for Florida and Nebraska. Additionally, large politically progressive cities with high costs of living such as NYC, San Francisco, and Seattle have already raised the city minimum wage for most jobs, to $15 per hour. At the national level, the Democratic Party made the $15 per hour minimum wage part of its 2016 platform after Bernie Sanders’ promotion of the idea in his insurgent presidential primary run. The Democratically controlled House of Representatives passed a bill in 2019 gradually increasing the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour but the Republican-controlled Senate refused to consider the bill. In February 2021, the Democratically controlled House included the provision in the approved American Rescue Plan (ARP), a COVID-19 relief package, although the Senate eliminated it from the ARP. Criticisms of the FFF by movement supporters include that the $15 per hour minimum wage was largely obtained in only the most liberal US cities and states. And because of this success, the right-wing American Legislative Exchange Council, financially supported by the Koch brothers, has been introducing preemption statutes in conservative states that disallow municipalities from establishing higher minimum wages for low-wage workers. Moreover, although pay increases were attained, low-wage workers were provided with a voice and important alliances developed with community organizations, such as Black Lives Matter, the

A sign calls out McDonald’s wage practices at a Fight for $15 protest in Chicago (Christopher Dilts photo).

primary goal of the SEIU unionizing fast food as an industry as opposed to on a shop-by-shop basis, has not occurred under FFF. Moreover, while some fastfood workers shut down their establishments, many FFF protests were top-down affairs which included only a few striking workers with most manning the picket lines being union staffers and community activists. This resulted in such events occurring primarily for public relations and photo opportunities as opposed to building real workers’ power at the job site. Without the acquisition of such power, fast food employees will remain unable to exert sufficient economic leverage on their employers due to their inability to engage in collective bargaining.

While obtaining a $15 per hour minimum wage, promoting workers’ voice and building alliances with other community organizations/social movements have been laudable achievements, for the 4.6 million US fast food employees to solidify and extend their legislative gains, unionization is necessary. This can only occur if most fast-food employees themselves engage in workplace self-activity culminating in building labor organizations that will collectively bargain with their employers.

Dr. Victor G. Devinatz is Distinguished Professor of Management, specializing in labor relations, and was the Hobart and Marian Gardner Hinderliter Endowed Professor (2014-2015) at Illinois State University. He can be contacted at vgdevin@ilstu.edu.

PTO ordinance guarantees sick days and paid time off All Chicago workers will be guaranteed up to five days of paid time off (PTO) and five days of sick time, the result of a City Council ordinance passed November 9. The Paid Time Off ordinance was termed a gender and racial justice issue, which affects a workforce that is disproportionately women, people of color, and immigrants, in lowpaid and part-time jobs without benefits.

The PTO ordinance passed by a 36-12 vote, led by Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22nd ward), with support from Mayor Brandon Johnson and Alds. Jeylu Gutierrez (14th ward), Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th), Desmon Yancy (5th ward), William Hall (6th ward) and Andre Vasquez (40th ward).

As originally proposed in July, the ordinance would have allowed workers to earn one hour of paid leave for every 15 hours worked – 15 or more days of PTO a year. On October 27, a coalition of workers’ rights groups issued a statement that said, “no one should risk losing their job or paycheck because they are caring for themselves or their families.”

In addition, the pandemic illustrated that allowing workers to stay home to care for sick loved ones protects the public health system, according to the statement from Arise Chicago, Women Employed, SEIU HCII, Raise the Floor Alliance, Chicago Federation of Labor, AFSCME Council 31, Shriver Center on Poverty Law, SEIU Local 1, Latino Union, One Fair Wage, Alliance of Filipinos for Immigrant Rights and Empowerment, Teamsters JC 25 and The Network: Advocating Against Domestic Violence.

Chicago also risked lagging behind a state law scheduled to take effect January 1, which granted all workers 1 hour for every 40 hours worked, up to 5 paid days a year, according to the statement.

Advocates announced a compromise ahead of the November 2 meeting of the City Council Workforce Development Committee, which OKd the revised ordinance by a 13-2 vote.

Just prior to passage of the ordinance, Arise Chicago member Isabel Santos, a nanny and working mom, said that many times she had seen her daughters’ sad faces when she had to tell them she had work to pay bills instead of attending a school event that was important to them. “We are workers, we are human beings and we ALL need time to take care of our families,” Santos said.

–Suzanne Hanney, from online sources

Editor’s Note: Look for a future column from Dr. Victor Devinatz on Arise Chicago’s organizing efforts for the past year. www.streetwise.org

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Sudoku Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the ethe12/3/23 s 1 to 9.

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Streetwise 12/3/23 Crossword

To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the Sudoku numbers 1 to 9.

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60 Defense’s excuse 61 Knight fight 62 Tempo 63 Brewer’s need 64 They, in Trieste 65 Storm center

Down 1 Breastbones 2 Chubby 3 Sleep disorder 4 Jai ___ 5 Daughter of Cronus 6 Auth. unknown 7 Pooch, to some 8 It’s a wrap 9 Wolf’s sound 10 Sea eagle

11 Broke bread 12 River to the Mississippi 13 Spot 20 Falchions, e.g.

21 Historical period 24 Crow 25 Paddles 26 Bubble source 29 Tackle 30 ___ el Amarna, Egypt 31 Cherish 32 Kind of collar 33 Periphery 34 Wedding vows sites 35 Finito 36 From the top 37 Thai river

38 Winner’s cry 39 Recipe amt.

42 Routing word 43 Present from birth 44 Wiggle room 45 Give expression to 46 Slow on the uptake 48 Characteristic 50 ___ du Dales, cycling event 51 Watch chains 52 ___ Kringle 53 Annexes 54 Musical mark 55 Articulate 56 Draft choice 57 Soccer star Hamm

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Answers from Dec. 13, 2023 edition Sudoku Solution Solution

Sudoku Solution

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Puzz

Crossword Across 1 Defective 4 Fossil fuel 8 Excavates 12 Alone 13 Cereal grass 14 Film part 15 Jury 16 Final demand 18 Get older 19 Gown 21 Fine fiddle 22 Youth 23 Groove 24 Actress Carrere 25 Summer mo.

26 Harness part 28 Increases 31 Loathing ©2023 PuzzleJunction.com 34 Vermouth 35 Voyaging 62 Building 11 Big rig 36 Travel additions 12 Heroic tale annoyances 63 Blow the 15 Chum 39 Angers whistle 17 Primary 40 Contends 64 Remain 20 Persian, e.g.

41 Separates 65 Expire 24 Echelon 42 Rocker 25 Razorbills Nugent Down 26 Rituals 43 Solidifies 1 Filleted 27 Outcomes 44 Commotion 2 Pub quaff 28 Consumer 45 Tavern 3 Stagnation 29 Lively 46 Slippery sort 4 Vinegar 30 Impudence 47 Actor Vigoda holder 31 Passing 50 Beeper 5 Lubricates notice 53 Bear cat 6 Behaves 32 Challenge 55 Encountered 7 Waikiki wear 33 Frosted 56 Native 8 Video store 34 “Hold on a Australian category moment!”

58 Indian lodge 9 Greek letter 35 Declare 60 Kind of court 10 Over37 Eternally 61 Molecule abundance 38 Cut off

43 Rani’s wear 44 Checkers color 45 Aquamarine 46 Hostile force 47 Sufficient 48 Flower fanciers 49 Riviera season 50 Treaty 51 Qualified 52 Hockey score 53 Brad of Benjamin Button 54 Dwarf buffalo 57 Auto need 59 QB Manning

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