Chicago Sun-Times: Suit: Oberweis milked illegal labor

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-ober09.html

'Two undocumented workers from Mexico have filed a complaint with the Illinois Department of Labor alleging Republican dairy magnate Jim Oberweis and a Lake in the Hills subcontractor paid them well below minimum wage to clean three suburban Oberweis ice cream shops.

Immigrant rights activists said although Oberweis was unaware that Rosa Ramirez and Jorge Ibarra were allegedly hired and exploited by the subcontractor for a mere $3.23 an hour, as chairman of Oberweis Dairy, he is still responsible. They further characterized the gubernatorial candidate as a "hypocrite," since he blamed illegal immigrants for destroying the country's economy in his failed bid for U.S. Senate last year.

" says that we should not be here, and then he hires us, abuses us, and gets rich off of our work," Ramirez, 41, said in Spanish during a news conference Tuesday at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant & Refugee Rights offices, 36 S. Wabash.

Oberweis: 'Dirty politics at work'

Patmar Janitorial Services promised Ramirez and Ibarra $350 each for every two weeks they cleaned up Oberweis stores in Arlington Heights, Hoffman Estates and Schaumburg during the month of May, according to coalition executive director Joshua Hoyt. But the two northwest suburban residents, who were supervised by Oberweis employees and used the company's cleaning supplies, were only given half the amount promised, Hoyt said.'


So how do you think this will effect the governor race? I forget if Oberweis has announced or not.

Isn't he just a piece of work? I honestly hope the conservative (read as looney wingnuts) wing of the IL GOP demands that he be the candidate they run against Blag.

If you look at it, with the lack of primary races statewide it is possible that on the GOP end of things the fundies will be the only really organized ones for elections day. That would bode well for the Dems as long as we can muster turnout on Election Day for the General...



Laura

when he was in the primarys running for senate here in IL. His commercial was about illegal immigration and made the undocumented look like cockroaches. It made me so angry! But, now we have Obama in the senate and not that evildoer. and now oberweiss thinks he can run for governor? not after these articles from the Chicago trib and Chicago suntimes came out. bye bye milkboy!

Has Oberweiss called for them to be investigated, heavily fined, jailed, or put out of business?

Yes, he's a hypocrite!!!