El Milagro Tortillas

El Milagro Tortilla Workers Gain Improved Pay, Shorter Hours After Months of Negotiations | Eater Chicago

"Workers at this Pilsen tortilla plant were part of a broader Chicago campaign that secured $1.3 million in wage increases across the two local facilities and won other concessions such as air conditioning in lunchrooms, corrected sick-pay practices with payouts for unused sick time, employer-paid tools, and manager sexual-harassment training. Despite these gains, employees say management has not honored promises to end seven-day work weeks and has not convened with the worker committee, and organizers report continuing problems with production line speed and staffing practices that cause injuries and lost hours (especially for third-shift workers sent home early). Advocates who organized rallies and publicity say the campaign also prompted NLRB complaints alleging surveillance and intimidation during protests; management maintains that some wage changes were part of an internal review and not the result of outside pressure. The plant is part of one of the city’s largest tortilla manufacturers, which employs about 400 people in Chicago (roughly 100 of whom were involved in the labor campaign) and distributes products nationwide." - Aimee Levitt