Workers who are members of UE Local 1110 in Chicago have been occupying their plant, Republic Windows and Doors, after being laid off and refused severance and vacation pay in violation of labor law. Bank of America has frozen the credit of their management after receiving bailout money from taxpayers, further showing how the financial institutions in this country value profits over people. This week, December 7 through 13, Jobs with Justice has called a Week of Action for a People’s Bailout.
USASers spoke with a UE organizer in Chicago on Tuesday, December 9th, to get an update on what was going on and what we can do as student-labor organizers to support a militant labor movement and a grassroots movement that is truly challenging corporate power in North America.
For ongoing updates and more information on the Week of Action, see:
http://www.ueunion.org/ue_republic.html
http://jwj.org/bailout/index.html
http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bankofamerica
Bank of America got bailed out! People got sold out!
To read the notes from the conference call, click read more! A big thanks to UE in Chicago for taking time out of their extremely busy organizing around what’s going on to update students on the situation– as well as UE Local 150 in North Carolina for getting us all connected!
Abe Mwaura, a UE staffer in Chicago, gave us an update on the situation there:
* The workers are tired – tired “of telling the media there hasn’t been a resolution yet.” Around 2pm, the Associated Press put out a story saying that Bank of America had extended credit to keep the Republic Window & Door factory open. This is not true.
* For the past few weeks, the company had been moving machinery out of the plant, which tipped off workers that something was up. They found out that the plant manager and former employees were moving furniture to a warehouse elsewhere in the city. They confronted management, who, after a week, admitted that they were in financial trouble and that Bank of America had been calling the shots. Bank of America, as the creditor, essentially owned the plant.
* A major point in negotiations is that Bank of America has responsibilities to the workers because they had taken on financial management of the plant.
* Ed Speigman(sp?) from Bank of America made a statement that the Bank didn’t have any responsibility; they have started to budge. Abe says “the capitalist class, at least, will have resposibility for how workers are treated in this factory.”
* What are the next steps? “The minimum settlement is that workers get severance and vacation pay that they are guaranteed under [the WARN Act.] The workers, as a collective force, would lose power that we’ve been able to gain in the past couple of days. There are a lot of different ideas for what the next steps are. Every leftist organization in the world showed up at the door and they all think one thing or another should be done. There have been discussions in the factory for taking over and running the plant but we don’t have the capital to do it. The best scenario that’s possible would be what the news was saying – that the Bank extends the company a line of credit.”
* In the case of a tentative agreement, UE Local 1110 members will meet, discuss and vote before details can be released.
* One worker, Raul, said “Bank of America got taxpayer money, I pay taxes, it’s like I’m paying for myself to be fired!”
* The Jobs with Justice petition has gotten over 20,000 signatures in just a few days.
* Workers at Republic see this as an example for workers around the country, and the issue is bigger than just 300 workers in Chicago
Maria Escobar, coordinator of Student Labor Action Project talked about the JwJ Week of Action for a People’s Bailout:
* SLAP is a project of Jobs with Justice and USSA, a campaign for worker’s rights and economic justice with almost 40 chapters around the country. JwJ has called a week of action for a “People’s Bailout” – passing an economic recovery stimulus package that supports people not corporations; passing the Employee Free Choice Act; to stop evictions due to foreclosures – Bank of America is also very much a part of the foreclusure crisis. Even if you don’t have a Bank of America in your community, you can visit your congress person and demand a people’s bailout. Another issue is budget cuts for universities which affect tuition and layoffs of campus workers. Tomorrow in Boston there’s a big action planned in support of the Employee Free Choice Act, there will be rallies supporting workers all over the country. The website is www.jwj.org/bailout. There are many options of things to do – connect with Dec 10 Human Rights Day, have a demonstration outside of a company that is laying off workers, or have a “Billionaires for the Bailout” action/street theatre.
Local Reports
* Chicago: A lot of excitement and response on short notice, a lot of support and food being brought to the factory. Jobs with Justice is organizing a demonstration at downtown Bank of America Wednesday; University of Chicago is organizing a picket and Bank of America near the school Friday
* Atlanta: Demonstration Thursday at 12pm at Bank of America at Marietta St and Broad St downtown
* William and Mary: In Virginia, Jobs with Justice is organizing a People’s Assembly to form an agenda to present to the legislature
* Maryland/DC: Protest outside of Bank of America at corner of 15th and Pennsylvania (close to Treasury Department) 4pm Thursday
* Candace from Carbondale encourages people to send in delegations with letters to present to management – Coalition of Immokalee Workers has done this with campaign for Fair Food
People are excited!!! Historic moments in the labor movement and people’s movements in general are all around us…
Get Involved
* Look for updates on the Chicago workers fight at http://www.ueunion.org/
* Check out local actions for a People’s Bailout in your area at http://jwj.org/bailout/12-08actions.html
* Google group to coordinate with student and youth labor organizers: studentlabor[at]googlegroups.com or email email hidden; JavaScript is required to be subscribed, send reportbacks of local actions to see what’s been going on
* Email Salma[at]usasnet.org or call her at 716-432-7156 to get an account on Basecamp, online software that can be used to exchange organizing tips and coordinate nationally
* Contact USAS staff for any questions about starting up local student-labor organizing and getting connected to what is already going on– Salma at salma[at]usasnet.org or Shaun at shaun[at]usasnet.org
