What’s at stake for workers at El Milagro Tortilla Factories?
Protestors outside the El Milagro taqueria during a rally last September. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times
El Milagro, a Chicago-based, Mexican-American, family-owned business has been under scrutiny for years. The National Labor Relations Board alleged the company had threatened workers if they unionized over concerns of labor violations and sexual harassment. Last week, workers settled a labor dispute with the company, and now El Milagro must communicate to all 400 workers about their right to unionize and promise not to interfere with any efforts to do so.
We discuss what El Milagro means to the Latino/x/e community and look back at how the workers' allegations against the company changed the perceptions of the tortilla brand in the community.
Guests:
Adriana Gallardo
Engagement Reporter, ProPublica
Author of The Tortilla Type of Hurt, How One Broke My Heart
Laura Garza
Worker Center Director, Arise Chicago