Pepsi facility abruptly lays off workers
On the last Monday of October, as PepsiCo workers showed up to the company’s Back of the Yards facility before sunrise, they were surprised to learn that dozens of them had been laid off. The Teamsters Local 727 union said employees were sent home and Chicago police were onsite to escort them away. The lack of notice may have violated state law, which requires a sixty-day advance notice known as WARN; the company said affected employees would get pay and benefits for sixty days. The Sun-Times reported that a PepsiCo letter spoke of seventy-nine employees, but according to the union, 150 worked at the facility, which is set to close at the end of the year. Labor activists believe those who were unaccounted for may be temporary agency workers for whom labor protections apply, too.
Sims Metal permit public comment
Last week, Pilsen residents and environmental advocates raised concerns over a permit renewal request for Sims Metal Management, a metal shredding facility with a record of environmental violations. In 2021, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul sued Sims Metal Management for failing to meet emissions standards, citing health risks after tests. Sims was ordered to install new monitoring equipment, but it has yet to happen, according to neighbors. The community’s plea is to ensure the air is safe to breathe before greenlighting the facility’s operations.
Groups like the Southwest Environmental Alliance insist no permits should be granted until emission controls are in place and proven to contain emissions. Advocates cite risks to local schools and call on Mayor Brandon Johnson to act. It would be the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) which withholds the permit until Sims demonstrates that the new controls are installed and that they are effective. Members of the environmental group report limited and unhelpful communication with the mayor’s office and the CDPH regarding the matter. Groups point to former Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who blocked General Iron, a similar facility from opening on the Southeast Side, as a precedent to follow. The public comment period ends on November 7, 2024, after which the CDPH will review and summarize feedback on Sims’ permit application submitted in 2021.
Check if you have unclaimed property
One of the best feelings is when something that promises you money and looks like a scam is actually the real thing. That’s kind of the deal with unclaimed property. It might seem shady to get mail or emails asking you to input personal information and in exchange you’ll get the money from a long-lost checking account, but if it’s coming through the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer, it’s legit. Unclaimed property is a term for financial accounts with some funds in them that have not been accessed for some period of time. Think old savings accounts, utility deposits, traveler’s checks, money orders, and refunds. Maybe you had some money left in a People’s Gas account, but haven’t checked in years because you moved; or you bought some stock in 2012 and forgot all about it. Unclaimed property is a consumer protection program and the state will hold onto it in perpetuity, but you might as well get yours now. Though for the sake of managing expectations, most of the time it seems the amounts are under $100. Head over to icash.illinoistreasurer.gov to search your name and see if you’re owed anything.