The workers at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago are calling on supporters in Chicago to join them at a protest at Bank of America, 231 S. LaSalle today, Wednesday, December 10 at 12:00 noon.

Milwaukee, WI – Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) demonstrated outside a Bank of America office in downtown here, Dec. 9, in an afternoon show of support for the United Electrical Local 1110 Chicago workers.

Rally on Wednesday, Dec 10 at noon at Bank of America 231 S. LaSalle Avenue in Chicago

Chicago, IL – Sunday night, Dec. 7 in Chicago brought more good news to the workers occupying the Republic Windows and Glass factory. The enormous outpouring of support was instantly noticed in the front room outside the worker-guarded doors by the wall to wall notes of solidarity from the hundreds of people who have come by. The workers described how happy they were to get Reverend Jesse Jackson’s support earlier in the day and the cheers that happened in the cafeteria when they heard about President-elect Obama’s statement of support for their cause. They then set their sights on getting Governor Blagojevich to weigh in on the demands for the over $1 million owed these 200 workers.

Video of UE Local 1110 President Armando Robles speaking at the People’s Thanksgiving, a Fight Back! event. A collection was taken for the workers occupying the Republic Windows plant. Afterwards a group of 25 people drove to the factory to personally deliver the $1500 raised.

Chicago, IL – Saturday, Dec. 6 brought more inspiration from workers at Republic Windows and Doors who are occupying their plant in Chicago. The workers’ union, Local 1110 of the United Electrical workers (UE), held a rally at noon outside the plant doors. By then, the workers’ militant action had already become international news.

Los Angeles, CA – Over 2000 Mexican and Central American workers marched here, July 29, to demand legalization and an end to the mass firings of immigrants. The mass firings have been brought on by the Department of Homeland Security’s push – backed up by the threat of sanctions on the employer – to identify undocumented workers by auditing companies’ employee data.

Chicago, IL – The cafeteria at Republic Windows Factory on the North West side of Chicago was filled with workers tonight, Dec. 5. In a militant action, they have taken over and occupied the block-long building still filled with expensive merchandise and equipment. The 200 workers have been told that their plant is closing but have not been paid by the guidelines set forth in the WARN Act. It is estimated that the workers are owed $1million. The courageous workers insist that they get paid before the assets are removed from the expansive plant. They are especially outraged that the very Bank of America that claims it can not pay the Republic workers is the bank that received $25 billion in the last U.S. bail out!

Los Angeles, CA – Chanting, “What do we want? Legalization! When do we want it? Now!” a group of over 200 University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) students and community members gathered outside of a campus lecture hall where Carl Braun, executive director of the California Minutemen Civil Defense Corps was scheduled to speak, Feb. 6.

St. Paul, MN – Over 1,000 people marched on the West Side of Saint Paul on Labor Day to demand legalization for immigrant workers and workers' rights for all. The West Side is one of the main centers of Latino immigrants and Chicanos in the Twin Cities.

_ Labor Day Marches and Sept. 30 National Day of Action Planned_

Hillside, IL – Over 750 immigrant rights activists met here on August 11-13 at a historic national convention. This was the largest and most important meeting of the new immigrant rights movement to date. The attendees were largely Mexican-American, with Central and South Americans and other nationalities too. The convention brought together leaders of the wave of “mega-marches” from all over the country. Those marches brought millions of immigrant workers into the streets to defeat the anti-immigrant Sensenbrenner Bill (HR 4437) and to demand legalization and full equality for undocumented immigrants. According to Los Angeles-based immigrant rights and trade union activist Carlos Montes, “The energy, unity and diversity of the convention was motivating and a call to action for immigrant rights.”

Chicago, IL – Emma Lozano's voice was cracking as she spoke to the thousands of marchers for immigrant rights in Grant Park, July 19. “I'm here to ring the bell for an immediate moratorium on deportations and the raids and sanctions on employers.” The founder of Pueblo Sin Fronteras had just helped to lead over 20,000 on a three and a half mile march in 90-degree heat. The event was a continuation of the mobilizations for immigrant rights begun this spring by Chicago's March 10th Movement.

Chicago, IL – Among the 700,000 people who took to the streets here for the May Day immigrants’ rights protest were anti-gentrification activists from the city’s South Side. Members of the Student/Tenant Organizing Project (STOP) carried signs saying, “Black and brown united!”

Chicago, IL – Feb. 6, the center of campus at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) rang with voices. “Tenure for Professor Johnson now!” called out 100 protesters. The group, made up of Blacks, Latinos, Asians, and whites, was calling on the administration to grant tenure to a Black professor.

A May Day speech by Christina Chavez

Editors note: the following is the text of a speech prepared by Christina Chavez for International Workers Day in Chicago.

May 1 marks International Workers Day around the globe. Here in the U.S., immigrants’ rights coalitions called for a National Day Without An Immigrant, advocating no work, no school and no buying to show the impact that the immigrant community has. Millions of undocumented workers and their supporters took to the streets.

May 1, 2006 was an historic day, as millions of people, mainly Mexicanos (immigrants from Mexico), Chicanos and Central Americans, poured into the streets of United States to support the struggle for immigrant rights. Many have called this upsurge in protests a ‘new civil rights movement.’ We think that this is a very good description of the broad united front of labor, religious, community and youth organizations and the grassroots participation. Most importantly, this fight for equality and self-determination in fact represents a challenge to the monopoly capitalists that rule this country.