Committee, which formed to support the locked out workers at A. E. Staley, a corn sweetener processing plant in Decatur Illinois. But the program was not solely restricted to issues of local concern. Many national and international issues of concern to working people were also addressed, such as the election of a reform slate led by John Sweeney to the leadership of the AFL-CIO in 1994, and efforts of trade unionists in the United States to form links of solidarity with South African unions fighting the Apartheid regime. The program also featured segments on working class culture and songs of the labor movement by artist like the Chicago-based folk musician Bucky Halker. WLUW becomes an independent community radio station Throughout the late 1990s, WLUW moved further in the direction of a community oriented radio station. Financial difficulties facing Loyola University lead the institution to consider ceasing the radio station's operations in 2002. The efforts of WLUW producers and community activists lead to an agreement under which station management would be taken over by WBEZ, the National Public Radio affiliate in Chicago. WBEZ's mission was to assist station managers develop a plan to make the station self-funding and self-supporting within five years. WLUW from that point on begin referring to itself as Chicago's independent, listener-supported, community radio station. The radio station attracted growing attention, even at a national level, for its unique programming format and its devotion to remaining community controlled and funded. The station continued to expand its offerings of community programs devoting air time to a diversity of ethnic groups, including foreign-language programs for the Haitian, Latino, Ethiopian, and Southeast Asian communities in Chicago. The program lineup includes many progressive public affairs programs produced by local organizations. The Heartland Cafe, a restaurant that also acts as a left wing activist center in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood, hosts Live From the Heartland. The staff of the 8th Day Center for Justice, a Catholic social justice organization, produces a program called The 8th Day devoted to peace and justice issues. Chicago's Independent Media Center produces From The Trenches, a politically progressive local news program. Labor Express, and in more recent years Radio Chamba, provides the station programming focused on issues of concern to Chicago's working class communities. In the summer of 2007 Loyola University, which still owns the WLUW license and the property from which 88.7 FM is broadcast, decided it