Local News for Will County, Joliet, New Lenox, Manhattan, Wilmington, Peotone, Beecher, Elwood, and Frankfort Illinois. All Photos Copyright, All Rights Reserved, Unless Otherwise Noted. Email requests for use with attribution to willcountynews@gmail.com.
Caterpillar Strike in Joliet
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By Ann Baskerville
JOLIET--Striking machinists at the Caterpillar plant in Joliet were joined on the picket line Saturday July 14, 2012 by several community members and two steelworkers who work at a Caterpillar plant in South Milwaukee. The Wisconsin workers stated their contract with Caterpillar is up in the coming months and they fear they may be in the same boat as the striking machinists at the Joliet plant.
Picket line outside the Caterpillar plant in Joliet, Illinois. The machinists have been on strike since May 1, 2012.
Steelworkers from Milwaukee came down to Joliet to stand on the picket line with the machinists
Picket line on Route 6 outside the Caterpillar plant in Joliet
Machinists on strike at the Joliet Caterpillar plant
Picket line outside the Joliet Caterpillar plant
Around 7 p.m., two large buses left the Caterpillar plant to shouts of "scab" from the picket line:
Caterpillar has advertised for temporary workers for its Joliet location while the machinists are on strike, and has stated the plant has operated well using both the temporary labor and Caterpillar managers. Caterpillar advertised for temporary workers in local papers and on a digital billboard on I-80 and the Des Plaines River Bridge:
First a Debbie Halvorson sign was defaced on Rt. 45 in Kankakee County. Now a Youtube video shows a Cedra Crenshaw sign cut up and dumped in a ditch: This is ridiculous. The elections are obviously very highly contested this year, but it is wrong to deface or destroy anyone else's property, period. We have received reports from numerous other campaigns in the area that signs were stolen, knocked-down, or otherwise tampered with. Is this the work of a few bad apples? Teenagers having "fun"? Maybe. The point is regardless of how you are going to vote in the election, we are all citizens of this area and need to do our part to maintain law and order.
Will County Townships used to be dotted with one-room schoolhouses. For example, this 1909 plat of Manhattan Township maps the location of several one-room schoolhouses: 1909 Plat Map of Manhattan Township, Will County, Illinois Will County News was recently fortunate to be given a copy of a circa 1938 photo of a one-room schoolhouse in Manhattan Township. It looks like this was a fairly small class. I like the Will County Map hanging on the wall: Will County One-Room Schoolhouse
To honor those who have served in our nation’s armed forces, Illinois Rep. Anthony DeLuca, D-Chicago Heights, is hosting a free Veterans’ Appreciation Picnic on Friday, July 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, located at 19101 Halsted St. in Glenwood. “Veterans made sacrifices for our safety and freedom that we must not take for granted,” DeLuca said. “They deserve our thanks every day, not just on special holidays and this picnic is sign of our community’s gratitude for their service.” Veterans and their family members can come to Veterans Memorial Park at any time during the event for conversation, hot dogs, and BINGO. Representative DeLuca will be joined by leaders from local governments, including Bloom Township, Rich Township, Frankfort Township, the Village of Glenwood John H. Blakey Center for Seniors, and the Village of Monee. “I am looking forward to visiting with veterans from across our district,” DeLuca said. Space is limited. To RSVP...
