We demand that J.B. Pritzker, the Democratic candidate for governor of Illinois, pay his organizing fellows. Organizing fellows are student workers who spend at least 15 hours a week doing critical organizing work, from recruiting volunteers, to hosting organizing meetings, to knocking on doors. But despite their critical work, J.B. pays them nothing.

J.B. would have no difficulty paying his fellows. He’s now donated over $100,000,000 to his campaign. His net worth, according to Forbes, is $3.5 billion. The race is predicted to be the most expensive governor’s race in history. Top members of management are feeling it: as of March 30th, his campaign manager alone had earned over $207,000 according to campaign disclosures. But the college students who work for J.B.’s campaign as fellows for at least 15 hours a week, who balance performing essential campaign functions with class work and enormous amounts of student debt, make nothing.

As the pro-labor candidate in this race, it just doesn’t add up that J.B. doesn’t pay his student workers. Even Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, J.B.’s opponent and one of the most anti-union governors in the country, pays his interns.

Campaigns often rely on student workers who work tirelessly to knock doors and recruit volunteers, but too often they are underpaid or not paid at all, and have few protections in their workplace.

We demand that J.B. uphold his campaign’s values by paying his fellows a fair wage of $15 an hour.