August 12, 2015
By Steve Wishnia and Neal Tepel
Members of United Steelworkers Local 17U in Chicago staged a week of demonstrations outside Grant Park in late July, protesting the Lollapalooza music festival’s use of nonunion temp workers to set up the stage and sound system. The job normally would have employed 25 members for at least several weeks, said Local 17U President Anthony DeGrado—a significant amount in an industry where workers rely on big events like Lollapalooza for much of their annual income.
Arena Americas’ Wisconsin office, the company handling equipment for the festival, brought in minimum-wage workers from outside the Chicago area. “I think we got their attention,” said DeGrado. “These guys are from out of state. If they’re coming here, they need to do the right thing.” Read More
