Press Release from UE Local 1110, posted in solidarity by IWW members:

Workers Vote to Get Pay; Occupation Ends!

After 6 days occupying the plant, workers at Republic Window and Doors in Chicago voted to accept a settlement late on December 10th.

The settlement totals $1.75million. It will provide the workers with:

- Eight weeks of pay they are owed under the federal WARN Act;
- Two months of continued health coverage, and;
- Pay for all accrued and unused vacation.

JPMorgan Chase will provide $400,000 of the settlement, with the balance coming from Bank of America. Although the money will be provided as a loan to Republic Windows and Doors, it will go directly into a third-party fund whose sole purpose is to pay the workers what is owed them. In addition, the UE has started the "Window of Opportunity Fund" dedicated to re-opening the plant.

As the Local 1110 leaders characterized the settlement, "We fought to make them pay what they owe us, and we won." Read more about the settlement here.

We want to extend a big THANK YOU to all of you who participated in this campaign. The tremendous support and solidarity from the thousands of people like you around the country - and the world - who took the time to send messages to Bank of America and who rallied at banks across the country was crucial in winning this victory.

This is truly an historic victory for workers in the United States.

But this struggle is just the beginning! As the economic crisis deepens we need to launch a working class fight back. Rallies for a "People's Bailout" will continue today and throughout the rest of the week.

Click here to find an action near you (updated daily) http://www.jwj.org/bailout/12-08actions.html. You can also take action online:

- Tell Congress: We Demand a People's Bailout: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/peoplesbailout
- Save Autoworker Jobs: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/autoworkers
- VOTE NOW for Grinch of the Year: http://www.jwj.org/grinch

Thanks again for all that you do! You can see photos, video, and press clips from the Week of Action here: http://www.jwj.org/bailout/12-08report.html
 

From Chicago Indymedia

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.

In support of the recent UE occupation of Republic Windows, the Chicago IWW has responded by forming UE Workers Solidarity Committee to provide support for the sit in strikers.  The committee is comprised of diverse organizations to primarily act as a flying squad in case of eviction or action taken against the workers.  The committee is working to coordinate food, water, media work and outreach.

The RWSC is asking other IWW Branches to take action on Wednesday 12:00 at Bank of America locations in their cities.  Because events around the strike are happening quickly, please contact the organizers in case of changes.  Also, if possible take a picture or write an article and send it to the committee.  Bring banners, flags, and signs and demand No More Bailouts For The Ruling Class!!

By Daniel Gross - Counterpunch, December 8, 2008.

The corporations got sloppy. From the hedge-fund parasites to the housing market fraudsters, the corporate criminals have shown their hand. Their filthy fingerprints are all over the economic pain blanketing the country and the world.

To add insult to injury, the corporate agents in government, also known as politicians, are looting incomprehensible billions of dollars to turn over to the fat-cat executives.

Working families have long known the pain of stagnant wages, steep rents, and unaffordable heath care and education in the United States. But there’s no doubt that this recession has squeezed the vise beyond what many of us have seen in our lifetimes.

What’s invigorating and critically important though is the rising awareness that corporations are to blame for the current calamity, and that this crisis is not merely, “a force of nature.” Working people across the country are pointing the blame where it belongs. The elites understand this rising public awareness of corporate wrongdoing as well. How else to explain President George W. Bush feeling obligated to give a speech last month in New York defending capitalism itself?

According to this year’s Gallup survey on opinions toward 25 business sectors, all but one sector (sports) suffered a decline in esteem. The real estate industry suffered the greatest decline in positive ratings for any industry in the history of the poll. Only 16% of those questioned had a positive view of the real estate business. Banking also suffered a precipitous drop from 50% rating it positively last year to just 36% giving a favorable nod this year.

The combination of economic pain and rising awareness of corporate culpability has created a tremendous opportunity for workplace and community organizers interested in transformational change. This is our time: time to step up the intensity of our outreach and organizing around demands which challenge the dominance of the corporations in our lives.

As of Friday morning, 200 angry UE Local 1110 workers have occupied the The Republic Windows and Doors factory which closed abruptly last week after Bank of America canceled the company's financing.  This is the first major organized factory occupation in the US by unionized workers since the 1930s and very likely the portent of further actions by workers as the capitalist system's house of cards continues to come crashing down.  The following account is by a member of the CHicago IWW.  Links to other news stories about the occupation are included as well:

Fellow Workers,

I just got back from a Labor rally at Republic Windows, a factory located on Goose Island, which is a designated Manufacturing District in the City of Chicago, Illinois. There were approximately 200 Union people attending the rally, including 5 Wobblies, along with U.S. Representative Luis Gutierrrez, and the media, including Labor Beat (a Wob Member), all the Chicago TV stations, and probably Chicagoindymedia, Chicago Public Radio as well, can't confirm the last two.

The workers in the factory are members of UE Local 1110. The factory shut down at 10:00 am Friday. There was no advanced notice to the workers. They have been denied vacation pay and severance pay, which under Illinois law is 75 days in a union shop. The workers refused to leave.They are currently occuping the factory. Apperently, BOA (Bank of America) wouldn't give Republic a Line of Credit to continue operations.

At the rally, representatives from Jobs With Justice, Interfaith Worker Justice (which co-ordinated the event), SEIU, Teamsters (the radical local), and US Rep Gutierezz spoke. Most of them had pretty good things to say. Basically, Wall St has been Bailed Out, where's the bailout for Workers?

Illinois Rep Luis Gutierrezz threw his support behind the Republic Workers. He babbled on a bit, as is his nature. He is brokering a deal to meet with UE, BOA , and Republic Monday. The deal is: get the workers their severance and Holiday pay.

If the deal falls out, UE will picket BOA HQ at 135 S La Salle St. at Noon on Tuesday.

Workers Around the World Take Part in Day of Action for Starbucks Workers and Farmers

Chicago, IL- A group of Starbucks baristas here marched into their store today and served a declaration of union membership on their store manager as working people in countries around the globe demonstrated in solidarity with Starbucks coffee farmers and café workers.

"As members of the Industrial Workers of the World, we won't allow Starbucks to play dice with the amount of work hours we get each week," said Liz Clarkson, an IWW barista at the Chicago store. "Taking this action for secure work hours and a livable wage on the third anniversary of the SWU's founding makes it all the sweeter."

Wednesday, May 2nd, 2007 - At 11am, the Chicago Couriers Union (IWW, IU540) rolled up to 135 South LaSalle Street (between Monroe and Adams) with, signs, fliers, and union flags for a spirited 3-hour informational picket against the security policies of the building, which is managed by Jones Lang LaSalle. Last fall, union members had written letters and had over 100 bike messengers sign a petition, in hopes of having the policy changed and to have a messenger center installed, only to be given the run-around by building management.

In this and many other buildings downtown, messengers must endure humiliating and time-consuming security procedures to simply do their jobs: entering through a loading dock, leaving their bags (as if they're criminals), and waiting for a freight elevator (rather than just taking passenger elevators through the lobby), and often taking abuse from security guards. Forcing messengers into this mess can take 15-20 minutes, costs customers money, costs messengers money, results in a loss of productivity across the industry, and is just plain Not Cool with most bikers working downtown, who are paid on commission per delivery.

Two messengers held the picket for its duration, and several fellow messengers, plus a member of the local IWW General Membership Branch, spent time holding signs and handing out fliers to fellow workers, employees in the building, and other passersby. The picket covered the front and back entrances, plus both entrances of the alley leading into the loading dock. Hundreds of fliers were distributed, containing information about the grievance.