Hanna worked at the Silver Capital Corporation in Bedford Park for 51/2 years, but when she was laid off Friday, she was offered no severance pay.

"It's not fair,'' said Hanna, 37, who lives in the Little Village neighborhood and asked that her full name not be used.

Many of the 175 former workers at the company, which makes frames, are furious at their union representatives for negotiating what they say is an extremely unjust severance package as the factory prepares to close.

The workers are planning a rally outside the office of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 743 at 4620 S. Tripp at 10 a.m. today, following a Teamsters meeting to nominate candidates to lead the union.

"The union didn't help us, didn't support us,'' said Marcela Garcia, 47, an assistant manager who was also fired Friday. She had worked at the factory with her husband for 17 years but was offered the equivalent of two weeks' severance pay -- about $1,000 -- and no other benefits. She refused the offer -- and was then offered nothing.

Garcia, also of Little Village, is planning to run for a union leadership position as part of the 743 New Leadership slate. She also said the union did a poor job of negotiating contracts, noting that most workers made less than $6 or $7 an hour and had no health benefits.

Tony Caldera, who is running for secretary/treasurer on the New Leadership
slate, said his party is seeking to reform the union that represents thousands of health care, technical, professional, warehouse and mail order employees in the Chicago area.

Garcia gathered with about 50 laid-off workers Saturday to sign a complaint that said the union of "arbitrarily, discriminatorily, and in bad faith, secretly negotiated an agreement with the Silver Capital Corporation regarding plant closing. Workers were denied seniority rights and the right to vote on the contract.''

They plan to file the complaint this week with the National Labor Relations Board.

Reached Saturday, Local 743 President Robert Walston declined to comment and hung up on a reporter.

Silver Capital officials could not be reached Saturday. But in a letter to employees dated Sept. 1, the company said it was shutting down because "we can no longer compete with products that are coming in from foreign countries.'' The letter said the company was paying the "maximum amount that we could give under the circumstances.''

The company said it had secured up to two years of unemployment compensation for laid-off workers. But Garcia said many workers at the factory are undocumented and ineligible for such benefits.