
The
sit-in and plant occupation at Chicago's Republic Windows and Doors ended in victory late Wednesday night, when the union announced that more than 200 workers and members of UE Local 1110
voted unanimously to accept a $1.75 million settlement that includes eight weeks of back pay, two months of continued health coverage, and compensation for unused vacation time.
Final Press Conference:
Audio
According to
UE, over the five days of the Republic plant occupation, messages of solidarity poured in from around the world. Individual workers, organizations, labor unions and federations sent emails and letters of solidarity. Protests against the Bank of America were also organized across the U.S. as word of the Republic occupation spread. [
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The settlement also laid the basis for future initiatives — including the creation of a new foundation dedicated to reopening the plant. That effort will be initiated with seed money from the UE national union and the thousands of dollars in donations to the Solidarity Fund that have poured in from around the world in recent days. Workers chose the name themselves: the Window of Opportunity Fund. "The fund will be open to receive donations from all friends of the Republic workers and supporters of their struggle," said Local 1110's Melvin Maclin in the union's official statement.
Accounts on Chicago IMC newswire: [
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Photos: [
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Video: [
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Related Links:
UE Solidarity webpage
Comments
Re: Chicago Workers' Plant Occupation Ends in Victory
12 Dec 2008
When you do not keep a contract with someone, it is fraud. That is something that so-called "conservatives" have forgotten regarding business. They seem to think that the idea of a company being trustworthy and keeping their word is unnecessary. They have created a culture of white-collar thieves and hyenas.
This is evident in so many ways, not the least of which the way that they re-regulated the banking industry to write the concept of fraud out of the law. They wrote pages and pages of new laws to make the concept of fraud non-existent.
I hear valueless creepy animals with no skills who have never done a days work like Mitch McConnell, Dick Army and other Demonic Bastards call pensions "legacy-taxes". As if the contracts that the companies sign with their employees are meaningless.
The salaries and pensions of these CRIMINAL POLITICIANS with no skill or morality is the true legacy tax, the legacy tax we cannot afford.
They have only one motive, to destroy the unions, that's it. They don't care about anything else. Everyone knows that things have to change with the Unions. It is no secret, even among the rank and file, but the cynicism and hate speech being used by these CRIMINAL POLITICIANS is barely tolerable.