Laid-Off Factory Workers Refuse to Leave!!
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
December 8, 2008 8:22pm CST
The workers of Republic Workers and Doors, Chicago, Illinois, were given three days notice that their jobs were being terminated because of Bank of America's refusal to continue the company's line of credit but the 300 workers have refused to leave and have instead staged a sit-in!
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/us/08chicago.html?em
"Some of the plant’s 250 workers stayed all night, all weekend, in what they were calling an occupation of the factory. Their sharpest criticisms were aimed at their former bosses, who they said gave them only three days’ notice of the closing, and the company’s creditors. But their anger stretched broadly to the government’s costly corporate bailout plans, which, they argued, had forgotten about regular workers."
At least one person in a high position agrees with the workers - President Elect Barack Obama!
http://www.suntimes.com/news/politics/obama/1318766,barack-obama-republic-window-doors-120708.article
Here's part of what Obama had to say Sunday at a news conference:
"When it comes to the situation here in Chicago with the workers who are asking for their benefits and payments they have earned, I think they are absolutely right. What’s happening to them is reflective of what’s happening across this economy."
Any thoughts? It's sure a far cry from Ronald Reagan's firing of the Air Traffic Controllers!
Annie
2 people like this
18 responses
@Trace86 (5030)
• United States
9 Dec 08
Isn't it interesting that Bank of America won't extend credit to a hardworking American company but will give credit to illegal immigrants in our country without proper identification or a means to pay?
I do a lot of surveys on-line and often get asked my opinion of Bank of America and if I would do business with them. The answer is always the same, absolutely not!
I had a Bank of America credit card for a number of years and when it came out about them giving credit to people who wouldn't have the means to pay them back, I called and transferred the balance elsewhere and cancelled the card. They asked why and I told them that I don't support the practice of making it easier for the people who are here illegally to stay and steal from us.
My husband also points out that DA Fitzgerald only went after Blagojevich the day after he said that Illinois shouldn't do business with Bank of America anymore. (Yes, I know he is dirty and needed to be arrested.)
@ParaTed2k (22940)
• Sheboygan, Wisconsin
9 Dec 08
From what I've been reading and hearing, I tend to agree with the workers on this one. They don't seem to be demanding anything but the pay and benefits they have already worked for.
It does beg the question though, why do some jobs seem to be sacred while others don't seem to matter in the whole bail out stupidity?
2 people like this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
9 Dec 08
I think they should get their money, they worked for it and should get it.
2 people like this
@iriscot (1289)
• United States
9 Dec 08
It was reported on a St. Louis news station that Obama knew nothing about the situation. All we need now is some of the "die hards" to try and drag him into this mess. I wonder if we will ever get an honest Governor in our state? I know ours isn't the only one that has a record of crooked Governors but we sure seem to be leading the pack. Being in southern Illinois, we don't seem to have much control of who gets elected to that position. Bad business!!!!!!!!
1 person likes this
@spalladino (17891)
• United States
9 Dec 08
I'm thoroughly disgusted with Bank Of America for pulling that company's line of credit like they did after this country was gullible enough to bail out the financial institutions. I hope these folks hang in there and get what they deserve.
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
10 Dec 08
Uh - just an FYI ...
An update by this responder.
http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/1826382.aspx
I guess Bank of America changed their minds.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
9 Dec 08
I heard the Governor of Illinois is pulling all the state's business from Bank of America. I'd pull my business from them if I had any...lol! We gave these jerks all those billions and what did they do with it? Nothing at all I can see to help anyone other than themselves and to line their own pockets.
Annie
@KrazyKlingon (5005)
• United States
9 Dec 08
Hey annienorthofmd - or should I call you anniewestofnj or anniesouthofny? I got it = annieeastofva
My poking around the internet found this:
http://www.chitowndailynews.org/Chicago_news/Republic_Windows_owner_linked_to_Iowa_plant_purchase,19712
(No way am I going to pull a kennyrose & dump the entire article here!)
However, things are not looking good for the owners of Republic Windows either. The wife of the owner seems to have just been named owner or something with another company similar to Republic Windows. They also mention a 2.6 million dollar condo that might be able to give those workers the 60 days plus severance pay that is required by law.
Bank of America got a portion of that 700 billion dollar government bailout. Te Federal government should REALLY step in, remove a portion of what Bank of America got along with interest of that money, & then use it to give those workers their severance pay plus benefits that they worked for. The state of Illinois did what they could by taking away their business from Bank of America.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
10 Dec 08
Just call me "anniewaytoofarnorthofthewarmweather"...lol!
I agree, they should FORCE these banks to do with the money they got what they were supposed to do! Apparently, or at least as I understand it, the Treasury Secretary was supposed to be overseeing this but he doesn't even know what's being done with the money. Nice, huh? It was supposed to free up credit so businesses and private citizens could get loans but the banks took the money and still aren't extending credit. It's a vicious cycle - businesses couldn't get credit so they had to lay off, too many people lost their jobs which in turn caused other businesses to lose money and sometimes go under, people's credit got damaged because they had no money and now the banks got the bail-out but they claim people don't have good enough credit to get a loan, which even good credit isn't good enough now since they've been burned so badly...and on and on it goes. Where it will stop, nobody knows!
Annie
@bgreen8 (266)
• United States
9 Dec 08
This is so terrible! I think that the workers should get the pay they worked hard for and I am glad they are standing up for their rights and refusing to leave. The company giving them only 3 days notice....you can't find another job in 3 days!
I recently went to an employment agency and the person there told me that the average person applies for 100 job positions before actually being hired! That is BAD!
I think with the economy in the toilet, more and more large companies are going to either be laying off or closing down all together. That will mean that in some areas people will literally be fighting for a job because the hiring company will only be hiring the best.
Now, I didn't vote for Obama, that's another story, but I do hope that he can at least turn the economy around and help create more jobs for the people.
1 person likes this
@ZephyrSun (7381)
• United States
9 Dec 08
I think it's awful. I'm sure most people do not know that one can get a list of business' that are going to close in the next 30 days from the local department of commerce. The economy is really bad in my area that even the city newspaper is announcing lay offs. I really hope that the new administration is able to come up with a way to fix our failing economy.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
10 Dec 08
Me too! Apparently they're serious about the rebuilding of our infrastructure. I heard on some show where they're hoping to get a stimulus signed into law almost immediately after Obama takes office so they can get right to work on jobs that were all set to be done but there hadn't been the funds to do them.
Annie
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
9 Dec 08
I just saw that on Lou Dobbs, but I did not catch the whole story. I thought Obama was going to create all these new jobs? I would not have been standing around I would have been tryin to get the only open job in the area because with all those people out of work there may not be many living many unemploye. I thank God everyday that we have not felt that here.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
9 Dec 08
Obama hasn't taken office yet so it would be kind of hard for him to have created any jobs already. These people have pay coming and I don't blame them for staying until they get it!
Note to everyone - I didn't notice until after I'd already posted this that I typed "Republic WORKERS and Doors" instead of "WINDOWS" and Doors. OOPS!!
Annie
1 person likes this
@neuronic (242)
• Japan
9 Dec 08
That's quite a serious situation, letting go so many people. What's interesting, I am reading only about workers being laid off, what about people from management? Do they have some sort of immunity? I mean, I myself have manager-like responsibilities, and your always in a risk of doing something wrong, but if you really screw it and the least what you should do is admit that you did it and resign. But, that's not the way things work, obviously. Let's hope BO gets his hands dirty in this one, and starts acting, not just telling what's right'n'wrong.
1 person likes this
@singlemommy (2955)
• United States
9 Dec 08
I totally agree with this. They always forget about the little man. Look at this country, bailing out corporations, auto-makers, etc. that probably have MILLIONS sitting in a bank account somewhere, maybe even in an offshore account. The little people get the shaft, if you know what I mean, we get told 3 days in advance that we aren't going to have a job anymore and we are supposed to be "okay" with that? When you don't make big bucks, you don't have a bunch of money sitting in your bank account to fall back on. I heard that in the state of Missouri, which is where I live, that the Unemployment Administration has ran out of Unemployment funds. So, what is that going to mean for the unemployed? Is the state going to find money somewhere to pay the unemployed or are they going to just go without anything coming in? All of this is scary if you really think about it, could we be looking to another "Depression" era? I know I've been worried about a layoff coming at my job, I was laid off for about a month during the summer and the economy wasn't near as bad then as it is right now. All this stuff really makes you think.
1 person likes this
@Crizhant (187)
• Philippines
9 Dec 08
In my point of view, when a company needs to be closed due to financial problems and the employees jobs were at stake, it is the government's role to create an alternative solution to alot employees another job, but in terms of the employees benefits from the company, the company needs to comply with it and it should be payed. :)
1 person likes this
@vivian642008 (71)
• China
9 Dec 08
i think people must be keep calm now .the crisis has happened and it will for a long time maybe.everybody doesn't want to take place.now the important things are united and facing it.i believe we must get over it.just as Obama said:yes,we can.
1 person likes this
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
9 Dec 08
This is an extremely sad situation and I hope your president-elect actually does something more than sympathizing with the workers. Corporate bosses are well-looked after during their tenure and even if out of a proper job, they always manage to survive well through their connections. It’s the ordinary worker who are naturally the only affected ones as they have little else to fall back on, it times of crisis such as this. On top of that if they are just terminated without any benefits, its just not acceptable. In times such as now when no job is secure, the least they can do for the workers is to give them their benefits.
1 person likes this
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
9 Dec 08
hey good for them. if you dont fight for your jobs, no one else will it seems these days. the economy is bleeding jobs and no one seems to care about the average guy (the gm and ford guys are still driving their private jets and the little guy is loosing his house!)
1 person likes this
@iriscot (1289)
• United States
9 Dec 08
Another tragic situation! It seems to be happening all over the country. A local steel plant is shutting down, AB sells out and now over 1000 workers are let go in the St. Louis facility. It looks like the Chicago company was waiting for approval of a loan from the Bank of America and it was turned down, not giving the company a chance to warn workers of the situation. The company probably should have given the workers information about the company's credit line before it came to this. Maybe the company doesn't have the money to pay the benefits to the workers? Could it be possible that the workers could make an offer to buy the company and put it back in good standing?
@coffeebreak (17798)
• United States
9 Dec 08
I am glad they are sticking up for themselves, not like they have anywhere else to go anyway. And it probably won't do much good if But I just gotta say - so what if Obama agrees with them? Is he going to do anything to help them? Does he have any jobs to send them on? No and No, so big deal that he agrees. This whole bail out thing is only helping the huge companies get out of the debt they carelsessly put themselves in. It doesn't help the working man - at least that I have heard... WAMU is laying off, JPMorgan is laying off, every day I read the news and another huge company is laying of thousands. Why isnt that bail out helping those companies therein helping the workers? Why is it only bailing out the head honchos bad and careless loans. Just keeps that company afloat, but doesn't help the workers. Off my soap box!
1 person likes this
