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A group of workers with tortilla maker El Milagro cross 26th Street to protest working conditions on Thursday, September 23, 2021. (WTTW News)
Workers at the El Milagro tortilla factory have returned to work after a walkout last week. But employees are still protesting the poor working conditions and the lack of adequate pay. They also say the company is not following COVID-19 guidelines.
Workers say that last year at least 85 people at the facility contracted COVID-19 and five died.
“The company only cared about their production, not at all about us, their workers,” said Luis Oliva, who has worked at El Milagro for three years. “They never said, ‘Let’s close this factory’ or ‘Stop this process’ or ‘Let’s increase their wages.’ It is not something that they have looked at. They only cared about producing tortillas, not about our lives. “
Jorge Mújica, the strategic campaign organizer for Arise Chicago, said the company has improved some conditions since last year. At one point, he said they didn’t allow anyone to use a face mask.
There are also wage issues, Mújica said. The average El Milagro worker earns about $ 15 an hour, the minimum wage in Chicago. However, the company recently listed jobs for $ 16 an hour, he said.
“We ask the company a lot of different things. Number one: that they give us the salary we deserve, ”said Oliva. “And I don’t just speak for myself. I have many colleagues who have worked for the company for many years.
El Milagro did not respond to a request for comment from WTTW News.
Note: This story will be updated with a video.
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