CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A dozen Portillo's workers rallied Saturday outside the Portillo's restaurant at 100 West Ontario St., saying their union membership should be recognized following a ruling by the National Labor Relations Board, which found no merit in Portillo's objections to the union vote.
The workers have overwhelmingly voted for representation by Iron Workers Local 853.
The workers work at a Portillo's facility in northwest suburban Addison. They are responsible for getting the food ready before it's shipped to the restaurants, but some of them live in the Southwest Side ward of Chicago.
"On April 13, 2023 workers...voted to join a union. The workers won fair and square. Why is it so difficult for Portillo's to recognize this?," 14th Alderwoman Jeylu Gutierrez asked.
"This group of workers is fierce! And they have been organizing for years."
Brenda Bedolla with the Iron Workers Union stood with Portillo's workers at the busy intersection of Ontario and Clark as some people drove by and honked their car horns in support.
"Despite saying that they would respect the workers' wishes and election results, Portillo's management has continued to undermine the workers and continued to utilize stall tactics to avoid bargaining with the workers," she said.
Jorge Mujica is with Arise Chicago, which connected Portillo's workers with the Iron Workers Union. He said union membership is a trend.
"We have seen it with...Amazon... Starbucks, and there are thousands of examples. Yes! Workers should have unions because that's the only way to guarantee your rights and benefits."
In a statement to WBBM, Portillo's said: "While we are disappointed with the outcome of this preliminary ruling, we will continue to evaluate our options to set aside the results of the April 13 election at our Addison, Illinois food production facility. In our view, conducting a new free and fair election, given the dishonest activity that is supported by the first-hand testimony and affidavits from witnesses, is the right thing to do."
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