They don’t have their jobs, but…
Workers occupying Republic windows & Doors
Direct action at work: The workers who occupied their own factory (Republic Windows and Doors) for 5 days after sudden notice of their layoffs succeeded last night in getting the severance pay and 2 months health insurance that was due to them under Illinois law.
About 200 workers showed up in groups of 50 or 60 to occupy the plant around-the-clock in eight-hour shifts. The company violated federal law because employees were not given 60 days’ notice that they were losing their jobs. Bank of America, although flush with U.S. government bailout cash, had refused to extend Republic’s line of credit and had also refused to allow Republic to pay out what the workers were owed. Most of the anger over the plant closure had been directed at Bank of America, not the company, which did not try to evict workers from the building.
The sit-in ended in victory late Wednesday night, when the union announced that more than 200 workers and members of UE Local 1110 voted unanimously to accept a $1.75 million settlement that includes eight weeks of back pay, two months of continued health coverage, and compensation for unused vacation time.
The worker occupation of a plant is something that’s been rarely seen in the U.S. since the 1930′s. The reaction was stunning for the union, when messages of support poured in from around the world, and demonstations of solidarity were held in other cities.