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> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Date: December 6, 2008 5:53:34 PM PST > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [imc-la] 12/6 Chicago, IL: Workers Occupy Factory! Need > Your Immediate Support! > > National Immigrant Solidarity Network > webpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Please join the immigrant Solidarity Network daily news litserv, > send e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit: > https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn > > PLEASE COME!! 4/10-12, 2009 Chicago,IL: NISN National Grassroots > Immigrant Strategy Conference > http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org/2009Conference/ > > Chicago Workers Occupy Factory! Need Your Immediate Support! > > Hold Bank of America Accountable! > > SIGN THE PETITION: > http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bankofamerica?rk=4dA6AtSqJEicW > > [Jobs with Justice] Only weeks after taking $25 Billion in bailout > money, Bank of America is turning its back on hundreds of workers > making energy efficient doors and windows in Chicago by refusing to > continue credit to Republic Windows and Doors. To make matters even > worse than putting 300 people out of work, Bank of America has > instructed Republic to refuse to pay workers compensation they are > legally entitled to, either earned vacation pay or the severance pay > legally required under the WARN Act, in lieu of proper notice of > plant closing. > > Like many other 'titans of Wall street,' Bank of America, Key Bank > and others are taking their bailout -- supposedly meant to allow > credit to get our economy moving again -- and using it to take over > other banks, pay bonuses to executives and dividends to > shareholders... just about everything except helping businesses > continue to employ workers. > > Tell Bank of America to either provide the credit needed to keep > workers in good green jobs, or at least provide the compensation > these workers are entitled to. > > About Republic: > > Republic Windows and Doors manufactures vinyl windows for new > housing construction and residential replacement windows. The > company, founded in 1965, employs approximately 300 people. Republic > is #275 on Crain's Chicago Business' list of privately held > companies, with $65 million in sales in 2006. The company received > almost $10 million in TIF subsidy financing since they relocated to > their current Goose Island location. They produce environmentally > efficient Energy Star windows, which reduce pollution by reducing > energy use. > > About the workers: > > Republic production employees have been represented by United > Electrical Workers (UE) Local 1110 since 2004. The average wage is > $14/hr. Workers receive good health coverage and retirement > benefits. Most of the workers live in the city of Chicago. These are > good, green living wage jobs. > > About the current situation: > > While the Company's new construction sales have suffered due to the > slowdown in the housing market, sales of replacement windows have > remained steady. *However, Company CEO Rich Gillman informed the > Union this week that the plant will close on December 5, 2008. This > means the City of Chicago will lose 300 good, green, living wage > jobs with benefits. * > > The role of Bank of America: > > Bank of America, formerly Lasalle Bank, is Republic's principal > lender. > > Republic says the plant closing is caused by Bank of America's > decision this week to stop extending credit to Republic. This is > despite the fact that Bank of America has received $25 billion in > bailout funds, ostensibly in order to extend credit to companies > that need it. > > Even worse, Bank of America has directed Republic not to pay workers > their owed vacation or plant closing benefits due under the federal > WARN Act, which provides for 60 days of pay in lieu of notice of a > plant closing. > > What the workers want: > > If the Company must close, that they pay all benefits to which > workers are legally entitled. > > > Chicago Workers Occupy Factory! Need Your Immediate Support! > > http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/84872/index.php > > The workers of Republic Windows and Doors are right this minute > occupying their factory, which was due to close at 10:00 AM Friday > morning. > > > > > > > > The workers are fighting for pay for their lost vacation days and > for the 75 days notice that they are guaranteed under Illinois law. > This is the first time in many years workers have taken the bold, > militant strategy of occupying their place of work to demand > justice. The plan to occupy the plant until they hear the results of > the next round of negotiations Monday afternoon. THEY NEED TO KNOW > THEY HAVE OUR SUPPORT!!! > > A prayer vigil has been planned for 12:00 Noon tomorrow. Please > attend. BUT WE SHOULD ORGANIZE A CONSTANT PRESENCE OF COMMUNITY > MEMBERS PICKETING OUTSIDE THE FACTORY! BRING FOOD AND COFFEE FOR THE > WORKERS. It is our presence and the press that is the workers best > defense against the police raiding the factory. > > These workers are fighting for all of us!!! As the economic crisis > deepens we need to launch a working class fight back. These workers > are the starting point and deserve our full support. > > Go to: > > Republic Windows & Doors > 1333 N. Hickory > On Goose Island, near the intersection of Division & Clyborn > > Feel free to call me for more info (312) 502-7867 - Jerry Mead-Lucero > [ pilsenprole.blogspot.com/ ] > > Chicago factory occupied > > Socialist Worker On-Line > December 6, 2008 > > Lee Sustar reports from Chicago on an occupation by workers who want > what's theirs from management and the Bank of America. > > socialistworker.org/2008/12/06/republic-window-occupation > > > Lee Sustar reports from Chicago on an occupation by workers who want > what's theirs from management and the Bank of America. > > December 6, 2008 > > WORKERS OCCUPYING the Republic Windows & Doors factory slated for > closure are vowing to remain in the Chicago plant until they win the > $1.5 million in severance and vacation pay owed them by management. > > In a tactic rarely used in the U.S. since the labor struggles of the > 1930s, the workers, members of United Electrical, Radio and Machine > Workers of America (UE) Local 1110, refused to leave the plant on > December 5, its last scheduled day of operation. > > "We decided to do it because this is money that belongs to us," said > Maria Roman, who's worked at the plant for eight years. "These are > our rights." > > Word of the occupation spread quickly both among labor and immigrant > rights activists--the overwhelming majority of the workers are > Latinos. Seven local TV news stations showed up to do interviews and > live reports, and a steady stream of activists arrived to bring > donations of food and money and to plan solidarity actions. > > Management claims that it can't continue operations because its main > creditor, Bank of America (BoA), refuses to make any more loans to > the company. After workers picketed BoA headquarters December 3, > bank officials agreed to sit down with Republic management and UE to > discuss the matter at a December 5 meeting arranged by U.S. Rep. > Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill), said UE organizer Leah Fried. > > BoA had said that it couldn't discuss the matter with the union > directly without written approval from Republic's management. But > Republic representatives failed to show up at the meeting, and plant > managers prepared to close the doors for good--violating the federal > WARN Act that requires 60 days notice of a plant closure. > > The workers decided this couldn't go unchallenged. "The company and > Bank of America are throwing the ball to one another, and we're in > the middle," said Vicente Rangel, a shop steward and former vice > president of Local 1110. > > Many workers had suspected the company was planning to go out of > business--and perhaps restart operations elsewhere. Several said > managers had removed both production and office equipment in recent > days. > > Furthermore, while inventory records indicated there were plenty of > parts in the plant, workers on the production line found shortages. > And the order books, while certainly down from the peak years of the > housing boom, didn't square with management's claims of a total > collapse. "Where did all those windows go?" one worker asked. > > Workers were especially outraged that Bank of America, which > recently received a bailout in taxpayer money, won't provide credit > to Republic. "They get $25 billion from the government, and won't > loan a few million to this company so workers can keep their jobs?" > said Ricardo Caceres, who has worked at the plant for six years. > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > THE MEMBERS of Local 1110 have a history of struggle. In 2004, they > decertified the Central States Joint Board--a union notorious for > corruption and sweetheart contracts with management--and brought in > UE, a far more democratic organization. > > In May of this year, Local 1110 mobilized for a contract by > organizing a "practice" picket, and 70 workers used their lunch > break to confront the boss with a petition listing their demands. > The workers were able to turn back company's effort to win major > concessions and won solid pay increases.Now, management is trying to > get revenge by pocketing money that belongs to the workers. > > UE officials and workers acknowledge that it will be difficult to > stop the plant from closing. But they're determined to get the money > owed to them--and they believe that by fighting, they can set an > example for other workers facing layoffs and plant closures as the > recession deepens. > > Negotiations are set for Monday, December 8. Whatever happens, > however, the workers have already sent a message to employers that > if they violate workers rights and the law, they can expect a fight. > > "This is a message to the workers of America," said Vicente Rangel, > the shop steward. "If we stand together, we will prevail until > justice is done, and we get what we're due." > > = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = > What you can do > > If you live in the Chicago area, come to a rally on Saturday, > December 6, at 12 Noon at Republic Windows, 1333 N. Hickory in > Chicago, on Goose Island. If negotiations with Bank of America fail > to resolve the issue, there will be a picket of BoA's Chicago > headquarters at 231 S. LaSalle on Tuesday, December 9 at 12 noon. > > Members of Local 1110 need your support. Make checks payable to the > UE Local 1110 Solidarity Fund, and mail to: 37 S. Ashland, Chicago, > IL 60607. Messages of support can be sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [2]. For more information, call UE at 312-82.... > > At the Jobs with Justice Web site, you can send a message of protest > to Bank of America [3]. > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > > Material on this Web site is licensed by SocialistWorker.org, under > a Creative Commons (by-nc-nd 3.0) [4] license, except for articles > that are republished with permission. Readers are welcome to share > and use material belonging to this site for non-commercial purposes, > as long as they are attributed to the author and SocialistWorker.org. > > 1. [1] socialistworker.org/department/Labor > 2. [2] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > 3. [3] www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bankofamerica/ > 4. [4] creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0 > > Sit-In Continues at Chicago Window Plant! > > Chicago IMC > > http://chicago.indymedia.org/newswire/display/84870/index.php > > 1333 N. Hickory, Goose Island Chicago. Come support the action. > Continuing through the night. > Union officials announced this afternoon that Bank of America has > agreed to meet with them to discuss workers concerns about the > closing of Republic Windows and Doors. > > "They are ready to meet with the company and the union and a > representative from Luis Gutierrez's office in order to try to come > to some kind of resolution with the situation," says Mark Meinster > of the United Electrical Workers, which represents the workers. > "Everybody is trying to get a meeting today." > > However, bank officials will only meet if Republic agrees to sign a > waiver of confidentiality. Up until this point, Bank of America > spokespeople have declined to comment on the situation because of > the confidentiality agreement. > > Workers are currently staging a sit-in at the company. They say they > won't leave until they receive pay for vacation time they've earned, > plus the 60 days pay due to them under the federal WARN Act. > Meinster says the money owed the workers totals between $1 and 2 > million. > > Workers were also informed this morning by the company that their > health insurance, which they were told would run until Dec. 15, was > cut off last night. Workers say the company told them it was Bank of > America's decision to end the insurance. > > "People are really angry," says Melvin Maclin, worker and vice > president of the local union. "A lot of people were hoping to go to > the doctor one more time before the insurance was cut off, to get > the medicines they need, but now they won't be able to." > > Around 200 workers are gathered at the company today. Maclin says he > thinks the sit in may last all day and into the night, or end with > the company removing workers by force. > > Earlier today, union officials said the company had told them boot > the news media from the plant, threatening that the workers would > not receive their paychecks if reporters remained. Workers were > given their paychecks for last week around noon. Paychecks for this > week will come out next Friday. > > Republic's Cheif Operating Officer, Barry Dubin, did not respond to > Daily News requests for comment. > > U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-7, is doing all he can to arrange a > meeting between all parties, according to a spokesman in his office. > > > > > > > > > > Photos: Workers and union organizers rally outside of the Republic > Windows and Doors factory on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2008 in Chicago. > Workers laid off from their jobs at the factory have occupied the > building since Friday and are demanding assurances they'll get > severance and vacation pay that they say they are owed. (AP Photo/ > Brian Kersey) > > > > ================================================================= > National Immigrant Solidarity Network > No Immigrant Bashing! Support Immigrant Rights! > webpage: http://www.ImmigrantSolidarity.org > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > New York: (212)330-8172 > Los Angeles: (213)403-0131 > Washington D.C.: (202)595-8990 > > Please consider making a donation to the important work of National > Immigrant Solidarity Network > > Send check pay to: > National Immigrant Solidarity Network/AFGJ > > National Immigrant Solidarity Network > P.O. Box 751 > South Pasadena, CA 91031-0751 > (All donations are tax deductible) > > *to join the immigrant Solidarity Network daily news litserv, send e- > mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn > > *a monthly ISN monthly Action Alert! Listserv, go to webpage > https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn-digest > > **Please join our following listservs: > > Asian American Labor Activism Alert! > send-e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/api-la > > New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania areas immigrant > workers information and alerts > send e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > or visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/nyc-immigrantalert > > US-Mexico Border Information: No Militarization of Borders! Support > Immigrant Rights! > send e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > or visit: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Border01/ > > Virginia state-wide immigrant organizing e-mail list, send- e-mail > to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] or visit: > https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/va-immigrantrights > > Immigrant Detention & Deportation Alert! > visit: https://lists.riseup.net/www/info/isn-immigrantdetention > send e-mail to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > Make your life easier with all your friends, email, and favorite > sites in one place. 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