Support Swells for Chicago Union Workers' Factory Occupation
Submitted on Tue, 12/09/2008 - 3:39pm
The worker occupation of the Republic Windows and Doors factory on Chicago's Goose Island by members of UE
(United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America) Local 1110
went into its third day on Sunday, and workers have vowed to continue
the occupation until they are paid back pay and benefits, or until the
plant is re-opened.
The occupation was declared on
Friday, the day the company moved to shutter the plant with only three
days notice — in violation of federal and state labor laws. Owners have
also cut off employees' insurance and failed to pay back pay. The
takeover has sparked a groundswell of support across the nation, with
rallies, e-mail campaigns, petition drives, fundraisers and plans for future actions. [ Updated news links ]
Company management blames the shut-down on Bank of America, which cut
their credit line — after BoA received $25 billion in federal bailout
money that the bank said they did not need. Since the bailout began,
BoA — like big banks across the globe — has slashed credit lines to
businesses, forcing a growing number of small and medium-sized
companies to shut down. Workers plan to meet with company and bank
representatives on Monday — and to picket BoA's LaSalle St. offices on
Tuesday if Republic's line of credit is not restored.
The action at Republic Windows comes on the heels of a drive to kick
out the company union, which had colluded with company owners and
management for years. That effort succeeded after three years of
struggle. Republic Windows' worker occupation is one of the first
actions of its kind in the United States since the Great Depression,
when a wave of sit-in strikes and factory occupations marked one of the
most militant phases in U.S. labor history.