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.

Armando Robles, a Serious worker and veteran of the Republic Windows battle who is inside the plant said, “ We learned today that they were going to close the plant. We workers decided not to let them. We are going to be here until they give us what we need.“This is the same factory with the same union and some of the same workers that inspired the country in 2008 when they occupied the Republic Windows and Doors factory to demand the pay and benefits due to them when that company closed abruptly.

The workers are represented by UE Local 1110. Leah Fried, UE organizer said, “Our only demand is that we be given a chance to save these jobs. What we want is time – time to find a buyer or even to make it possible for the workers to buy and run the factory themselves. We want time to save these jobs.”

Supporters continue to gather outside the plant, located at 1333 N Hickory Avenue in Chicago.

Breaking news (11:50 AM EST):

At around 1:30 am Friday 2/24 workers at the Serious Materials factory marched out of the plant chanting, “Si se pudo!” “Yes we did”. After occupying the plant since 2:30pm Thursday the union workers with UE 1110 reached an agreement that will keep the plant keep running for an additional 90 days. In addition the Union will try to help find a buyer for this factory in order to keep manufacturing jobs in Chicago. Other details of the agreement will be released in the future. This clearly shows that by fighting back workers can win.

#ChicagoIL #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #factoryOccupation #SeriousMaterials

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.

On Thursday, Oct. 1, a supportive crowd of 200 progressives and activists came to one of the many locations in Chicago showing Capitalism: A Love Story. The special showings benefited United Electrical Union Local 1110, the same local that carried out the historic Republic Windows and Doors factory occupation this past December.

Capitalism: A Love Story is filled with comedy, satire, and chilling analysis of the economic crisis in the U.S. It highlights the American people's “love affair” with capitalism that ends in heartbreak for believers in the “American Dream”.

The film begins with a searing critique of capitalism, highlighting several U.S. propaganda films praising “free enterprise” and the “profit motive.” Now with the current economic crisis, we know that Wall Street and financial giants such as Bank of America, Lehman Brothers, and Merrill Lynch are filled with greed, corruption, and deceit. Michael Moore skillfully argues that these characteristics are part and parcel of an economic and social system that is clearly bankrupt.

Next Moore exposes the US Federal government's $700 billion bailout fraud last year, which was forced upon the American people by Congress under fear and bribery from the financial elite. Instead of a government that serves the people, Moore argues Capitol Hill is a corrupt collection of wealthy servants to the top U.S. CEOs. Democratic Party officials in particular are blamed for the passage of the bailout that gave billions to the banks and nothing to the people.

The movie, in all its bleak observations, gives incredible hope to the American people. It features the fight back against housing evictions and foreclosures across the country – events mostly clouded over by the corporate media. The film shows stories of personal resistance, such as one family waiting to be forcibly removed by the sheriff from their home in Lexington, NC.

The main feature though is the union workers' occupation of Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago. The occupation is historic in the sense that it is the first factory occupation in the U.S. in decades. Workers are looking back to the tactics used during the Great Depression. The film briefly shows footage of the sit-down strikes at the GM factory in Flint, MI, of the 1930s that gave birth to the United Auto Workers. The recent Republic occupation stands in the same tradition of the working class using militant tactics to struggle for a better livelihood.

At the end, Moore implores the audience to take action, just as the workers at Republic, the families and poor in dozens of homes across the U.S., and protesters outside Wall Street are doing. This call is ringing in the ears of all those attending the special benefit on Oct. 2 in Chicago, as everyone signed up to get involved in union support work.

The big picture in Capitalism: A Love Story is the contradiction between democracy and capitalism. The problem with this view is that there is democracy under capitalism – it is democracy for the capitalists, the bankers, business people, and investors whose money controls the government in a thousand different ways. What we need is democracy for working people and the poor. But this can only come about if the wealth and power of the capitalists is done away with, that is with a socialist economy, which will mean democracy for the people and an end to capitalist economic crisis.

#ChicagoIL #CapitalismAndEconomy #UE1110 #Movies #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #MichaelMoore #CapitalismALoveStory

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

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.

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

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.

After a few minutes, the chants of “Sí se puede!” were heard in the halls and all the workers streamed out. Cheers went up. The settlement was announced: The Bank of America and CHASE had agreed to a $1.75 million loan. The workers will receive the eight weeks of pay due to them by the WARN act, two months of health insurance and their earned vacation pay.

Their cause had become a symbol of the anger that workers everywhere felt over the Wall Street bailout and the rising unemployment rate. Their fight was with an employer which was secretly setting up a low-wage factory in another state, but also with the Bank of America, which had received $25 billion in taxpayers’ bailout money.

Armando Robles, president of United Electrical workers Local 1110, remarked in summation, “You can do anything when you have the support of every one of your co-workers.” He added, “This is not a victory just for us. It is a victory for every worker in the country.”

#ChicagoIL #Chicago #ImmigrantRights #News #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #UELocal1110

Bank of America has attempted to sow confusion about the state of negotiations. They put out a press release that the dispute between the 260 workers and the company over the unpaid wages, vacation pay and health coverage has been settled. However, the bargaining committee has continued to demand that the company also meet the terms of the WARN Act. In Illinois, the WARN Act requires a company to give 75 days of notice to their employees before closing. Therefore, Republic owes their employees 75 more days of work or 75 more days of pay.

For more information on the rally tomorrow, go to the web site of the United Electrical workers union: http://www.ueunion.org/uenewsupdates.html?news=434

#UnitedStates #ChicagoIL #News #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

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.

The Chicago workers, largely Latino, were laid off Dec. 5 by Republic Window and Door after Bank of America refused to continue credit to the company, despite having just received a $25 billion taxpayer bailout. The workers occupied their work site, earning international attention.

Armando Robles, President of UE Local 1110, speaking at the Fight Back! annual fundraising event, People’s Thanksgiving, on Dec. 6 stated, “We're not going to leave [Republic Window and Door] until we get every penny we deserve.”

Milwaukee SDS members who attended People’s Thanksgiving visited the occupying workers at the Republic Windows plant later that night. A 20-year company employee stated the place was his “home away from home” and that the fellow workers were “his family.” The occupying workers, arriving in 30-person shifts, were very encouraged by the local and national support of their occupation.

The National Working Committee of SDS has endorsed the workers’ bold and militant occupation. Numerous student protests have since taken place all over the country to support these working class heroes.

Despite a blizzard, about 20 people attended the Milwaukee rally. SDS students who just got back from an overnight visit to the occupying workers spoke over a loud speaker. The crowd also chanted, “Bank of America – you got bailed out, we got sold out!”

Natasha Morgan, an SDS organizer who visited the occupying workers and was attending the rally, said, “This is the end of the Bush era!”

Learn how you can directly help the workers by donating and signing their petition here: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bankofamerica

#MilwaukeeWI #Labor #News #SDS #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica #UELocal1110

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

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.

There was talk that Monday would bring a proposal to the Chicago City Council to take its money out of Bank of America until the Republic workers’ demands are met. The meeting is still set for Monday at 4:00 with Republic representatives, Bank of America and the workers.

The Tuesday rally planned has been expanded to an even larger rally on Wednesday, Dec 10 at noon at Bank of America headquarters 231 S LaSalle Avenue in Chicago.

The workers are noticeably more organized and more confident as they do filmed interviews just outside the worker secured doors. Passersby come in with small bakery boxes of cupcakes at the same time that restaurant owners carry in carloads of prepared food. A cardboard donation box sits on a chair by the door and later SEIU Local 73 called in their support with a check of $2000.

Vice-president of UE Local 1110, Melvin Macklin, outside briefly for a cigarette in the sub-zero weather explained that inside the plant is still an estimated $3 to 5 million of inventory and that they do not believe that the company has been honest with them about its finances. He laughs with the other workers; Ron Bender with 14 years at the plant, Luis Moreno also with 14 years and Erik Ramos with 15 and a half years that they will not let the company change names, declare bankruptcy or any other trick to get out of their responsibilities. When asked how he felt when he got the news earlier this week, he answered “Shafted!” When asked what message he was sending he said, “Fight back!”

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #News #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #UELocal1110 #takeover #factoryOccupation

Armando Robles, December 7, 2008, Part 1

Armando Robles, December 7, 2008, Part 2

Armando Robles, December 7, 2008, Part 3

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #UELocal1110 #PeoplesThanksgiving

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.

Lalo Muñoz, a worker in the plant for 34 years spoke to the rally and explained that they had just been given notice on Tuesday that the plant would close Friday. The company had no plans to pay them the 75 days pay required in the Illinois WARN Act, nor their sick pay or vacation pay, and their health insurance would end immediately. Behind him were other occupying workers with blankets wrapped around them to protect them from the below zero temperatures.

Reverend CJ Hawking from the Interfaith Committee on Workers’ Issues called up speaker after speaker to express the importance of the plant occupation for all workers across the U.S. Teamsters Local 743 President Richard Berg, AFSCME Council 31 Executive Director Larry Spivak, SEIU Local 73 executive board member Joe Iosbaker, Michelle Aymold, an officer with the Graduate Employees Organization at UIC, Moises Zavala from UFCW, Martin Unzueta from The Chicago Workers Collaborative and Jobs with Justice director James Thindwa called these 260 workers true heroes.

Leaders from the United Electrical workers, Carl Rosen and Leah Fried, explained that the workers were told that Bank of America would not loan the company money. Bank of America denied the loan despite the $25 billion taxpayer bailout the bank had recently received. The 200 person crowd assembled on hours notice chanted, “You got bailed out, we got sold out!”

By the end of the rally, Congressman Luis Gutierrez promised to stick with them until they got justice. People left with concrete plans to return to the 1333 N Hickory Street factory with food, supplies, money, endorsements and ready to get more people for the planned Monday and Tuesday events.

Local 1110 President Armando Robles and his family spent the late afternoon explaining to Chicago activists the details and history of their struggle. As he walked into the packed room at the 17th annual People’s Thanksgiving fundraising dinner for Fight Back! newspaper, the ecstatic crowd chanted “Si se puede!”

The room included people from the disability rights group Access Living, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Southside Together Organized for Power, Sector Latino, the activist fan club of the Chicago Fire, SDS, Palestine Solidarity Group, National Lawyers Guild, Chicago Coalition Against War and Racism, and even the staff of the Venezuelan Consulate.

The crowd made it clear that the workers’ action on Friday had inspired folks far beyond the traditional labor movement. The fundraising bags circulating the room were filled as people came forward to put in $100 donations. After the event a group of 25 people drove to the factory to personally deliver the $1500 raised.

By late night the factory had numerous TV trucks parked outside and was busy with Mexican community members bringing in large silver pots of homemade soup through the barricaded front doors of the main plant filled with expensive equipment and merchandise. The workers had already developed their own food, housekeeping, security and media committees. Vicente Rangel, a union steward with 15 years in the plant, was on his way to a live CNN interview.

Next steps

Sunday morning, Rev. Jesse Jackson of Operation PUSH met with the workers in the plant cafeteria and stated his intention to press Bank of America to reinstate Republic’s line of credit. UE has set up a website for this as well: http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bankofamerica

A labor rally will be held at the factory door on Monday, Dec. 8 at noon, called by Chicago Federation of Labor president Dennis Gannon and SEIU state council head, Tom Balanoff.

The next negotiations between the company, the bank, Local 1110 and Representative Gutierrez will take place on Monday, Dec. 8 at 4:00 pm. If the company does not agree to the workers’ demands for justice, the occupation will continue. The workers will rally on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at noon in front of the Bank of America, 231 South LaSalle Street in Chicago.

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #News #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #UELocal1110 #UnitedElectricalWorkers

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #UELocal1110 #UnitedElectricalWorkers #takeover

The mostly Latino employees, who are members of United Electrical workers, have worked at Republic – some for over 30 years – and are not even being compensated with continued health insurance or the holiday and sick pay already owed them. They are also legally due wages for 60 more days after the announced closing today.

Vicente Rangel, a United Electrical workers steward and a worker for 15 years in the maintenance division said tonight, “We are sending a message to all the workers in America. We will try to keep the fight and we ask for your support.”

The workers chanted, “Sí se puede!” when they got news updates or solidarity visitors and made plans to stay up all night and prepare for a noon vigil on Saturday as well as a meeting with management and the bank representatives promised for Monday. As the word spread quickly today, plans were put in place for a Tuesday, Dec. 9 rally if their demands are not met.

#ChicagoIL #News #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #UELocal1110 #UnitedElectricalWorkers

Charlotte, NC – Chanting, “The banks got bailed out, and the workers got sold out!” and “Bail out the workers and not the banks!” more than 20 people gathered here for a spirited rally in front of the Bank of America corporate headquarters. Called by UE Local 150, the action was in solidarity with the workers of UE 1110 who have occupied the Republic Windows and Doors factory in Chicago. Participants marched together into the office building to deliver a letter to Kenneth Lewis, Bank of America chairman and CEO, demanding that the Bank of America use some of the $25 billion bailout funds to provide credit to save the jobs at the Chicago plant.

#CharlotteNC #ImmigrantRights #News #UE1110 #ChicanoLatino #UELocal150 #RepublicWindowsAndDoors #BankOfAmerica

Working people across the country are holding up newspaper photos and declaring, “Did you see this!” Like us, they are rooting for the Chicago workers waging a militant fight-back in the midst of the economic crisis. 260 union members are occupying their factory, owned by the Republic of Windows and Doors on Goose Island in Chicago. The workers were fired last Friday, two weeks before the holidays. Now the workers dare to set an example to millions of others. Instead of going to the unemployment lines with their heads down and pockets empty they are fighting back.

“Bank of America got bailed out! We got sold out!”

Working people are proud of the members of United Electrical workers Local 1110 for refusing to be put out on the streets with nothing. In solidarity with millions of other low income and unemployed workers, the Republic workers are saying “We're not going to take it anymore! We demand justice!” The workers are demanding payment of the $1 million owed them by the bosses while the factory sits with tens of millions of dollars of products and machinery. The main target of the workers' wrath however, is the big shots at Bank of America. We call upon unions and militants everywhere to protest your local branch of Bank of America! Bank of America managers are swimming in $25 billion of the American taxpayers' bailout but cannot bring it upon themselves to make a loan to keep the factory doors open. Main Street pays for Wall Street, while Wall Street decides for Main Street. The system is upside down. We say, “Make the rich pay!” The workers at Republic Window’s need their jobs back.

A history of class struggle and unity

The Republic workers are not new to the class struggle. Many have been on the job for 12 or more years – one for 34 years! Many are Mexican and Latino immigrants who came to escape poverty, moving north like three generations of African-American workers from the South. The spirit with which the Republic workers fight reminds one of history-makers like Chicago's Haymarket Martyrs of the 1880's who led the working class, many of whom were immigrants in the fight for the eight-hour day. One cannot but help see the relationship between today's militant struggle, uniting workers of all nationalities, and the recent mega-marches for immigrants' rights demanding equality for all.

Solidarity! Build a fighting workers' movement

We salute the example and leadership of these brave union workers and their local union leaders. They are truly leading the way towards a fighting workers' movement. Through their sacrifice and suffering, they will prove what a class struggle union can accomplish. They already have experience. Until a few years ago, the Republic workers were under the thumb of a mafia-type union until they organized themselves, breaking free and finding a real union to work with – UE. Bank managers, bosses and some politicians and union officials underestimate the workers and the solidarity they have built. To get the Republic workers their pay, and to keep their jobs in Chicago, we need solidarity. Solidarity means protesting the Bank of America. Solidarity means organizing your union to send money and plan for similar fight-backs. Solidarity means building a fighting workers movement that says, “Make the rich pay! Workers did not create this crisis!”

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #UE1110 #Editorials #ChicanoLatino #RepublicWindowsAndDoors