Competition Among Warehouse Employers Called A ‘Wage War’

Competition Among Warehouse Employers Called A ‘Wage War’

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A booming warehouse industry in the southwest suburbs is driving up workers’ wages. Anne Edmonds with the staffing agency ManpowerGroup said the growth of Amazon in the Chicago area — combined with a tightening labor market — has led to what she calls a “wage war” among warehouse employers. Edmonds said that a number of companies are now offering perks to attract employees, like paying for some college tuition. A spokesperson for the group Warehouse Workers for Justice said that, while wages are rising in the industry, they are still not enough to live comfortably on.