Horizon House workers rally for fair wages in Peru

Horizon House employees conducted a demonstration Thursday on the corner of Plank and Shooting Park Road in Peru to protest for fair wages.

Demonstrator Sarah Steil said the workers’ contracts expired six months ago and they’re in the process of negotiating for higher pay.

“I make nothing, people would be shocked at what I make,” Steil said. “Anything we ask for they’re saying no.”

Horizon House is a non-profit organization that provides support services for adults with disabilities. CEO Michelle Rich said the organization is 91% state funded, and the money given by the state is all they have. Any changes in budget or additional funding has to be approved by the state legislature, including wage increases. Because of this, Director of Development Carol Fesco said their hands are tied.

“A top priority of ours is and always has been to make sure our employees are well compensated and foster a good working environment,” Fesco said. “That’s one of our top priorities, and we value our employees. They are the heart and soul of our organization and we are aware of that, so we definitely want to do everything we can to keep them happy.”

Many of the informational picketers who work for Horizon House are direct support professionals who work with people with physical, intellectual or developmental disabilities. DSPs work in homes and in day programs to assist everyday needs and support adults with disabilities.

Horizon House DSPs from La Salle, Peru, Mendota and Spring Valley joined the demonstration all day Thursday. Roughly 20 informational picketers came and went throughout the day before, after and in between shifts.

Employee and demonstrator Cheryl Kakuska said they also work long hours and are understaffed. She said when new people are hired, they often leave after a couple months. She also said employees have no health insurance benefits.

“For us to be dedicated and come to work everyday, we need to feel like we’re part of the company,” Kakuska said. “They can’t work without us and this company can’t survive without us working everyday.”

Kakuska said the salary she makes is not livable, especially considering the rising cost of living and inflation. She said many of her coworkers need a second job but struggle to find one because of irregular hours.

“We definitely value (our employees) and we have done different ... types of appreciation to let our staff know that we appreciate them and value them even when we aren’t able to give the wage increases,” Rich said. “And we want to give increases, but if the funding’s not there, we can’t.”

The employees are not on strike, instead they’re demonstrating publicly in hopes to aid the negotiation process. Steil said they want to avoid a strike and reach an agreement acceptable to both parties.

Negotiations on a new workers contract will take place at 4:30 p.m. Thursday between the union representative, CEO and Horizon House’s attorney where all parties hope to reach an agreement.