Chicago IL: Republic Window and Door workers sit in, win settlement!
JLC Chicago Chair Mike Perry demonstrates on December 10th against Bank of America after the bank cut off credit to the Chicago-based Republic Window and Door factory, forcing the company to close, and lay off all 260 workers, members of Local 1110, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America.
Some 200 workers at Republic conducted a six-day occupation of the shuttered factory.
Community pressure led to a settlement this evening, totaling $1.75 million. It will provide the workers with
- Eight weeks of pay they were owed under the federal WARN Act;
- Two months of continued health coverage, and;
- Pay for all accrued and unused vacation.
JPMorgan Chase will provide $400,000 of the settlement, with the balance coming from Bank of America. Although the money will be provided as a loan to Republic Windows and Doors, it will go directly into a third-party fund whose sole purpose is to pay the workers what is owed them. In addition, the UE has started the "Window of Opportunity Fund" dedicated to re-opening the plant. The fund was to be initiated with seed money from the UE national union and the thousands of dollars of donations to Local 1110's Solidarity Fund that have come in from across the country and around the world.