Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

RepublicWindowsAndDoors

By staff

Supporters rally outside factory during takeover.

Chicago IL – 50 workers at Serious Materials, the window factory formerly known as Republic Windows and Doors, reported to work the morning of Feb. 23 only to be told that today would be their last day of work. Workers talked throughout the day and at 2:30 p.m. they came off the line and told the boss that they were not leaving the factory. They would not let the factory be stripped of its machines and sold piece by piece while they were out of a job.

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By Doug Michel

Movie poster for Capitalism: A Love Story

Michael Moore has done it again, only this time he's coming out strong against the most pervasive evil in the United States: capitalism. Moore serves to moviegoers a searing critique of capitalism that is well needed during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

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By Labor Beat

Fight Back! is posting the video Workers' Republic: Scenes From a Successful Factory Occupation that was created by the Chicago-based Labor Beat.

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

By staff

signs: "$ billions for Bank of America, $0 for workers"

Chicago, IL – The accompanying photos are were taken by Fight Back! photographer Kim DeFranco at the Dec. 10 noontime protest here, at Bank of America. About 700 people participated in the picket to back the workers at Republic Windows. At about 10:00 p.m. that evening the leaders of UE Local 1110 announced the victorious end of the occupation.

Raul speaking at UE protest. signs: "Banks got bailed out, we got sold out"

Man speaking at UE protest. signs: "Bail out people, not banks"

signs: "Banks got bailed out, we got sold out"

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #News #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

By Stephanie Weiner

Victorious factory workers with raised fists

Chicago, IL – After a six-day occupation of the plant which brought them nationwide attention, the Republic Windows and Doors workers met inside their factory tonight, Dec. 10, to vote on the settlement offer from their employer. A roomful of politicians watched and a knot of supporters waited for the results with great anticipation.

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By staff

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.

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By Matt Ginsberg-Jaeckle

Students in the snow protesting at Bank of America

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.

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By Stephanie Weiner

Women inside occupied factory raising fists

Chicago, IL – Women inside the Republic Windows plant raise their fists, Dec. 5. The occupation of this Chicago factory by mainly Latino workers is inspiring people around the world

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #News #WomensMovement #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

By staff

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.

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By staff

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.

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