Labor organizers offered advice to migrants — both newly arrived and long established — for how to work safely in Chicago.

by Sonal Soni

Panelists (from right) Jose Frausto, Harold De Jesus and Kevin Herrera speak as co-moderator Roger Fierro looks on during City Bureau’s Public Newsroom at the Chicago Art Department in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Photo: Jordan Esparza/City Bureau)

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Time and time again, recently arrived migrants have said their top priority after arriving in Chicago is finding work. 

But, as advocates laid out during City Bureau’s Public Newsroom on April 27, they face unique challenges and barriers to building a life in the purported Welcoming City. The nearly 46,000 asylum-seekers who have arrived since late 2022 face wage theft, threats of violence and other exploitative tactics from employers, the three Public Newsroom panelists said. 

The panelists, who included labor organizers from Latino Union of Chicago, Raise the Floor Alliance, and Chicago Workers Collaborative, emphasized the importance of community organizing and advocacy to protect workers' rights. Speakers also shared different ways folks can address mistreatment by utilizing resources from government agencies to community organizations supporting workers. 

Along with a Know Your Labor Rights guide produced by City Bureau’s Civic Reporting fellows and Latino Union (also available in Spanish), the panelists provided some key information for migrants as they navigate finding work in Chicago.

Here are some main takeaways:


New arrivals face several common unfair labor practices

Wage theft, violence and sexual harassment are a few major forms of workforce discrimination workers face, especially recently arrived migrants. But the mistreatment doesn’t always appear as clear cut as some might imagine.

“These threats can vary from just text messages, saying that [employers] will harm [migrants] or their families, to straight-up pulling weapons on workers,” said Harold De Jesus, day labor organizer with Latino Union of Chicago. 

Companies also weaponize private property laws against people exercising their right to solicit work, according to Kevin Herrera, legal director at Raise the Floor Alliance. Some folks, for instance, may unknowingly solicit work on private property, such as a Home Depot parking lot, and be arrested for trespassing. If a business posts signs forbidding trespassing or solicitation, that can serve as a first warning for a trespassing arrest.

Public property — like sidewalks — are a different matter.

“You can't arrest somebody here in Chicago for standing in public space and asking for work,” Herrera said.


There’s power in solidarity and organizing

Some of the issues recent arrivals face stem from tensions between those who are new to Chicago and immigrants who have lived here for many years, despite both groups experiencing similar unfair labor practices. 

Temp agencies sometimes hire recent arrivals over long-established immigrants because federal work permits have been more readily available to new arrivals. Those new to the country don’t necessarily know what minimum wage is, the laws that protect them, or how to fight for their rights. 

“If we can talk to the two communities about exploitation, that can be a way that we can bring them together and start creating community organizing,” said Jose Frausto, executive director of Chicago Workers Collaborative.

The three panelists for City Bureau’s Public Newsroom 155 included (from left) Kevin Herrera, Jose Frausto and Harold De Jesus. (Photo: Jordan Esparza/City Bureau)


Keep a paper trail

Panelists encouraged workers to get an hourly rate from temp agencies upfront and use their phones to document interactions with employers. Saving text messages from contractors is one way to keep track of vital information like pay rates and other agreements, they said.

“That is a written verbal contract,” De Jesus said. “That is legitimate here in Illinois. That's evidence that this person said, ‘Hey, I'm going to pay,’ and that is how we can start tracking that information.” 

Workers should also keep a notebook to log their hours, and to write down the license plate number if someone drives them to a worksite. 

Employers are not allowed to take money for expenses like transportation. If discrimination occurs or something feels off, workers should write down the date and keep note of the interaction. Labor organizers and other advocacy organizations can help with filing labor complaints or seeking other recourse.


LOCATE Resources for workers and organizers

Minimum wage and overtime pay laws protect workers’ rights and safeguard against discrimination for national origin. Workers also have the right to demand their contracted pay and not to be threatened.

“In terms of things that you should know as a worker, you are protected by workers' rights laws,” Herrera said. “[An employer] can't favor somebody for being Mexicano or for being American-born if you're from another country.”

Employers cannot threaten someone’s immigration status, such as migrants with a pending asylum claim or workers waiting for work permit approval. According to Herrera, employers use this tactic to discourage pushback against mistreatment like sexual harassment. 

A group of Public Newsroom attendees gather to discuss how they would react to examples of labor exploitation following a panel discussion at the Chicago Art Department in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago on Saturday, April 27, 2024. (Photo: Jordan Esparza/City Bureau)

“The threat is there that your immigration status is in jeopardy if you push back against the sexual harassment,” Herrera added. “And that’s not true.”

Panelists emphasize that workers can exercise their rights by filing complaints with government agencies. Those uncomfortable addressing issues themselves can connect with worker centers to help facilitate that process. 

The discussion concluded with advice for organizers to connect migrants and others with necessities like shelter, healthcare and legal representation to address their immediate needs. That type of community organizing is integral to strengthening the work around labor rights. 

Sonal Soni is a South Asian multimedia reporter and covers topics affecting queer residents, communities of color and social justice in the Chicagoland area. Their work is published in places like WBEZ, the Chicago Reader and the Harvey World Herald. You can follow them at @sonal_soni_ for more.

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