CHICAGO- About 20 activists from Stand Up Chicago, Jobs With Justice, SEIU and other various organizations gathered in front of the Chicago Club on Thursday to confront the CEO of Motorola Solutions, Greg Brown.
Brown has brokered a deal with Mayor Rahm Emanuel to bring 400 jobs to Chicago. When announcing the jobs Motorola failed to mention that many of them are simply being relocated from other Motorola offices.
Repeating a big business mantra, Emanuel said told the Chicago Tribune, “We in the public sector, we don’t create jobs. We create the conditions so you can invest and create jobs in our city.”
Chanting, “We want job creation, not relocation” and “You cut jobs, give back a few,” the protesters formed a picket line outside of the hotel.
Management from the hotel swiftly ran outside demanding that the picketers leave, as the hotel is already being picketed in front of their other entrance by striking Unite HERE! employees.
As the picket began to move away, an organizer from Stand Up Chicago immediately told the marchers “Don’t move! Not one inch!” and the picketers followed suit and held the line.
Even some business people who were walking by came and grabbed signs and joined in the picket in a display of solidarity.
One of the organizers stood by the entrance and asked incoming businessmen, “Have you seen Greg Brown in there? Tell him we want our jobs back.”
The picket was accompanied by two 12-foot monarchs wearing crowns that read “corporate welfare” and a banner that read “400 ‘new’ jobs?”
The protesters then marched to the other side of the Congress Plaza Hotel as a group of young workers ran out of the door of a business and shouted to the marchers, “Give our jobs back!” to great acclaim from the march.
Upon arriving at the hotel’s other entrance, the demonstrators joined the striking Unite HERE! workers in their picket.
Stand Up Chicago has vowed to return until something is done to bring real jobs to the unemployed and struggling workers of the Windy City.
Photo: Jordan Farrar/PW
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