By Doug Cunningham

A lawsuit by Chicago’s Working Hands Legal Clinic on behalf of immigrant workers at O’Hare Airport accuses United Airlines and several other companies of illegally profiting from wholesale violations of state and federal labor law. Attorney Jed Untereker says the companies profited from illegal exploitation of these workers by using the temp agency Ideal Staffing Solutions to bring the workers in.

[Untereker]: “We hope this case sends a message to all employers, particularly those using temporary staffing workers, that if they try to shield themselves from their responsibilities, if they try to hide behind temporary staffing companies and their workers, that they will be caught. And they still have obligations. And temporary workers still have rights, too.”

The suit names United, Alitalia, Singapore Airlines, Gate Gourmet, Air Menzies International, Swissport Cargo Services, J.D Norman Industries, APEX Plastic Finishing Company, and Ideal Staffing Solutions.

In November of 2007 hundreds of immigration officers did a massive sweep arresting immigrant temporary workers at O’Hare, accusing them of using false I.D.’s to work at the airport. This lawsuit says companies doing business at O’Hare brought the immigrant workers in to illegally cut labor costs. According to their attorneys, the temporary staffing workers are owed thousands of hours in unpaid wages and overtime.