Neighborhood Residents Rally to Take Back Chicago, Demand Action from Elected Officials

One week after the election, community leaders take to the street for minimum wage, education, and housing priorities overwhelmingly supported by Chicago voters

Community leaders will take to the street November 11, 2014, 12 Noon at the Thompson Center, 100 W Randolph St, Chicago

Following the rally at Thompson Center, participants will march to the Chicago Board of Trade, 141 W Jackson Blvd, for a second rally.

According to organizers of the march, “On Election Day, voters clearly stood in favor of economic justice. They sent a clear mandate voting by a 2 to 1 margin to increase the state minimum wage and overwhelmingly supported putting more money into education by taxing the super rich.

“Voters are fed up with elected officials that ignore the public interest in favor of corporate interests. Community leaders from across Chicago’s neighborhoods are coming together to demand that elected officials from Springfield to Chicago listen to residents instead of corporate interests.

The Take Back Chicago Coalition,convened by Grassroots Collaborative, is calling for:

• Passage of an increased Illinois state minimum wage of $10.65 during the Springfield veto session.

• $15 City Minimum wage that includes all of our neighborhoods and does not leave out tipped and domestic workers.

• An Elected Representative School Board to give Chicago parents a voice in our schools by allowing them to vote for the people that control the school budget like in every other city in Illinois.

• Immediate reform of the Chicago Housing Authority. Currently CHA is sitting on a stockpile of money that should be going to put Chicagoans into homes before another brutal winter. It’s time that we pass the Keeping the Promise ordinance to hold CHA accountable and allow for greater transparency.

Hundreds of residents will gather at the Thompson Center for an opening program with speakers who have been directly impacted by corporate policies that turn the pain of Chicago neighborhoods into profit. Participants will then march to several corporate players stifling legislation to help working families while profiting off of poverty wages, toxic interest rate swaps, and social impact bonds, like McDonalds, Bank of America, and Loop Capital.

Visuals: Over 500 Community residents with signs and banners, 8 foot puppets of Alderman Ronald McDonald, Alderman Bank of America, and other Chicago elected officials, 40×60 color photos of Chicagoans being hurt by failed city policies, and 8 foot tall neighborhood signs.

Participating organizations include:

Action Now

Brighton Park Neighborhood Council

Bronzeville Alliance

Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

Chicago Housing Initiative

Chicago Teachers Union

Enlace Chicago

Grassroots Collaborative

Iraq Veterans Against the War

Jane Addams Senior Caucus

Kenwood Oakland Community Organization

Logan Square Neighborhood Association

Lugenia Burns Hope Center

Metropolitan Tenants Organization

ONE Northside

People For Community Recovery

Pilsen Alliance

Restaurant Opportunities Center Chicago

SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana

Southsiders Together Organizing for Power