Oberweis In Hot Water... Again

By Amy Hart in News on Nov 9, 2005 8:03PM

If Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Oberweis did not like illegal immigrants during his senate campaign last year, then he certainly doesn’t like them now.

Yesterday two illegal immigrants filed a state labor complaint against Oberweis, alleging Oberweis Dairy hired a cleaning firm that paid them below minimum wage for cleaning dairy stores in the northwest suburbs.

Rosa Ramirez and Jorge Ibarra say Patmar Janitorial Service of Lake in the Hills paid them just $3.23 an hour. The Department of Labor will investigate the claims.

Oberweis currently serves as Chairman of the dairy company, but after his hard-line stance against illegal immigrants and his loss in the Republican primary for Senate last year, Oberweis the company tried to distance itself from Oberweis the man by saying he was not involved in the everyday operations of the dairy.

Oberweis initially called the allegations against him part of a “smear campaign” aimed at damaging his chances of becoming governor since the complaint was filed with the assistance of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights and the Chicago Workers' Collaborative, two groups which have opposed his candidacy. However, he now says he wants to hear their concerns.

If you like Oberweis the company but choose not to support them because of the Oberweis the man, you can always visit his campaign rallies to get free ice cream.