WalMart Stike, Black Friday Boycott, and Will County
Will County is at the heart of both the nation's freight distribution system and recent action by workers to change how WalMart treats workers at its warehouses and retail stores. Will County--where all 6 Class A Railroads meet--is home to the nation's largest inland port---two intermodals where trains bring freight from the coast for transfer to truck and distribution to a big-box store near year. If you live in Will County you have probably seen the long intermodal trains carrying containers headed into the intermodals in Joliet and Elwood. In September 2012, workers at the massive WalMart warehouse in Elwood, Illinois went on strike for unfair labor practices. The workers---employed through the staffing agency Roadlink to work at the WalMart warehouse which is run by Schneider Logistics---presented management with a petition about workers' concerns about wage theft, unsafe conditions, and discrimination. Workers were told they to leave the building, and then...