14 Inflatable Rats On Joliet's Larkin Ave: 'It's A Solidarity Thing'

JOLIET, IL — An all-union trades labor rally took place on Friday at 1590 N. Larkin Ave. in Joliet to protest general contractor Englewood Construction. Englewood is building the new Starbucks coffeehouse in what had been the parking lot for the North Ridge Plaza.

Englewood Construction out of Lemont is using contractors that pay substandard wages that undercut local contractors, according to Juan Rico, assistant business manager and organizer with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 176.

"It's a solidarity thing," Rico told Joliet Patch's editor on Friday morning.

Rico said that Englewood Construction goes out and gets bids from local unions for its projects "and they take the union bid and hire non-union, and they basically pocket the difference."

At Joliet's North Ridge Plaza, Englewood has four projects, Rico said.

In addition to the Starbucks, Englewood is overseeing the contract work at the North Ridge Plaza for the upcoming DD's Discount Store as well as The Threading Station and American Freight, according to Rico. DD's Discount will fill the Marshall's store vacancy.

Englewood will also be building the future Smoothie King on Joliet's West Jefferson Street on one of outlots near the Walmart and Murphy's Express, Rico said.

"We've been out here all week, and we'll keep it up as long as we can," Rico said.

As far as the cars, trucks and semitrailers that pass by on Larkin Avenue honking their horns, "we get a lot of support," Rico said.

Joliet Patch called Englewood Construction's media representative Chuck Taylor seeking his reaction to Friday's labor rally near the Starbucks construction site in Joliet.

Taylor declined to comment.

According to its website, "Englewood Construction is a full service national commercial construction general contractor, and management services company specializing in the construction of restaurant, retail, cannabis, senior living, office, industrial and hospitality projects, throughout the United States."