Victory for Workers Who Waged Sit-In

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.afscmeblog.org/category/labor-movement/?__utma=147014247.4481100877190388700.1229299842.1229299842.1229299842.1&__utmb=147014247.4.10.1229299842&__utmc=147014247&__utmx=-&__utmz=147014247.1229299842.1.1.utmcsr=afscme.org|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/index.cfm&__utmv=-&__utmk=105845379

December 12th, 2008

Congratulations to workers at Republic Windows & Doors who made justice happen. After a six-day sit-in at the plant, workers at Republic Windows & Doors in Chicago voted to accept a settlement late last night.

During the strike, a delegation from AFSCME Council 31 went to the plant gates to support the workers’ action.


Council 31 Regional Director Larry Spivack speaks at a rally to support the striking workers at Republic Windows and Doors.


This from the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) site, via Jobs with Justice:

The settlement totals $1.75 million. It will provide the workers with:

* Eight weeks of pay they are 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.

As the UE Local 1110 leaders characterized the settlement, “We fought to make them pay what they owe us, and we won.”

More from AFL-CIO Now Blog: http://blog.aflcio.org/2008/12/11/three-cheers-for-workers-who-waged-the-sit-in/

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. This is a big victory

God Bless them for standing together for what they were collectively owed. I wish you would also post this in GD because there is a lesson here. They still lost their jobs but at least they got the 2 months of warning pay, the 2 months of health coverage and the unused vacation days they were due. Better than not getting it.

You do such good work in this forum!