O'Hare Workers to Strike: Will Your Flight be Affected?

CHICAGO, IL — Hundreds of workers at O'Hare International Airport will go on strike Tuesday as part of a national "day of disruption" to fight for a $15-an-hour minimum wage. The work stoppage also includes 19 other airports across the country, as well as employees at fast-food restaurants, hospitals and other service industry jobs.

The O'Hare workers going on strike include baggage handlers, janitorial staff and wheelchair attendants. Most of those employees also work for private contractors. The minimum wage in Chicago is $10.50.

The national work stoppage, which was announced Nov. 21, is being organized by Service Employees International Union, and union leaders have said workers will be picketing outside O'Hare. Despite that, SEIU Local 1 President Tom Balanoff said last week that he didn't expect the strike and demonstration to disrupt actual air travel, something the Chicago Department of Aviation — the city agency that runs O'Hare and Midway Airport — agreed with, according to the Chicago Tribune.

RELATED: O'Hare Workers Will Strike But Not Until After Thanksgiving

In Chicago, rallies and demonstrations in support of the strike and raising the minimum wage will run throughout Tuesday. The following is a look at some of those activities, according to the Tribune:

• Employees at McDonald's, 2005 W. Chicago Ave., will sit in the middle of Chicago and Damen avenues beginning at 6:30 a.m.
• Hospital workers will march in front of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 251 E. Huron St., starting at 9 a.m.
• Airport worker will be joined by the other service workers at noon at the departure area between terminals 2 and 3 at O'Hare. Other protesters will march silently through the airport.

More via the Chicago Tribune

photo via Patch archive

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