Teamsters Local 727 Strength Shows Through In Light of Stay At Home Order
Today, Governor Pritzker issued a state-wide Illinois “stay at home order” to mitigate and hopefully slow the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and save lives. The stay at home order will begin Saturday March 21st, at 5 pm. The stay at home order explicitly forces all businesses except for “essential services” to temporarily close. Essential service businesses include emergency services (police, medical, fire); healthcare facilities; grocery stores; water; trash collection; pharmacies; banks; gas stations; and clinics.
Many Teamsters Local 727 members work in industries that are considered “essential” and will continue working during this stay at home order to service the public. 727 Members will keep working despite fears for their own safety and their families’ safety because they are Teamsters. Local 727 cannot thank you enough for your strength, dedication, and hard work.
The Union has already filed grievances, ULPs, and OSHA complaints where necessary to protect our members’ safety. While we know some of our members’ work is essential, we also know it must be done safely. The Union will continue to hold Employers’ feet to the fire to make sure they are making your safety and health a priority.
For many of our other members, you are at home—also worried about your and your family’s health and safety, with the additional worry of your livelihoods. Teamsters Local 727 is working day in and day out in to find every avenue we can to get you paid during this time. We are filing grievances for unauthorized furloughs that happened before the stay at home order because greedy companies worried about profits before they worried about their employees. We are writing letters to the mayor, the governor, and state legislatures to close any federal loopholes to force the companies or the government to pay you while you are at home. Please know that as long as any Teamster Local 727 member is working or any Teamster Local 727 member is going without pay, this Local will be working, too. Local 727’s phones will remain on during its regular business hours (Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm).
If there is one thing that Unions are good at it’s sticking together through good times and bad times. Brothers and sisters, we are a family—and as a family, we will get through this. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay Teamster strong!
Category: Union News
