Protesters Decry Use Of Non-Union Workers At New Peter Rubi Store

PLAINFIELD, IL — A group of people gathered outside Plainfield's popular grocery store Peter Rubi on Friday to protest the employment of non-union workers.

John Graves, owner of Peter Rubi, informed the community last month that they are opening a new store in the Uptown area of Chicago, on the corner of Montrose Avenue and Lakeshore Drive.

Graves told Patch that they are hoping to open by April 1 and are moving into a building at 811 W. Montrose Ave. This storefront, in a prime location, has been vacant for two years after the Treasure Island grocery chain that was supposed to move in went out of business.

In a notice to the public, the protesters wrote that Tower Commercial Construction has hired Prospective Plumbing Corp. to work on the store, calling it a rat company — meaning it pays its workers substandard wages and benefits as compared to other similar reputable organizations.

An inflatable rat, Scabby, is commonly used during such protests and symbolizes exploitative employers, protesters say.

"The owners and managers of Tower Commercial Construction and Peter Rubi Produce undermine the standard of living for people in this area by hiring RAT subcontractors," the notice said. "If companies ... can get away with eating away at the wages and benefits Chicago's laborers fought long and hard to get, eventually the whole economy suffers."

The group asked people to call Graves and the construction company to dissuade them from working with those who don't pay their workers enough.

However, Graves said that Peter Rubi had "nothing to do with the selection of subcontractors on the project" and they do not know who organized the protest. He did confirm that their Uptown store is being built by non-union plumbers.

"Everyone has a right to protest as long as it remains peaceful and lawful," he said. "I grew up in a teacher's union home. I respect them and honor their concerns."

Where Is Scabby, a group on Facebook that aims to rebuild the middle class by educating the mass on the importance of labor unions and exposing non-union jobs in the community, posted about this protest. Several responses to the post took issue with the protesters targeting the locally owned market.

"Shame on you for attacking a mom-and-pop grocery store during a pandemic," one wrote. "This family has been a staple in our community here and myself and many other families will continue to support them. I question your integrity, not theirs."

For more news and information like this, subscribe to the Plainfield Patch for free. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here. Don't forget to like us on Facebook!