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BIG NEWS AT PRESS CONFERENCE ON REPUBLIC OCCUPATION...

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Well we expected big news today and we got it...

1. 15 aldermen have proposed the City Council of Chicago pass a resolution that the city stop doing business with Bank of America if they do not ensure the workers get what is due them.

2. Carl Rosen, President of UE Western Division officially called for the plant to be re-opened under new management and stated that he is working with various public agencies to make this possible.

In the mean time, it has been revealed that Republic planned to move operations to Iowa under a new name. The Iowa plant would be non-union, pay around $9.00 an hour, with limited benefits. Workers would need to work three years before receiving vacation pay.

I will try to get the full text of the proposed City Council resolution posted here as soon as I can.

I will also have pictures shortly.

Comments

  1. NateDecember 8, 2008 at 12:50 PM

    Jerry,

    Thanks so much for the continued coverage. I'll have more time in about a week, maybe less. What can folk out of town do to help out? Fundraise I'm sure - it'd be easier if there was an electronic way to donate - are there things that the strikers need in addition to money that people could donate? Pressure on BoA elsewhere, maybe?

    This is only partly related, but do you know of any good stuff on BoA's behavior in the lead up and during the initial bubble-burst of the credit crunch? And regarding foreclosures? There was a protest here against BoA for foreclosing homes recently, I couldn't attend though. Some googling pulled up just a few things -

    http://raleighfist.wordpress.com/2008/04/29/may-9-protest-bank-of-america-in-chapel-hill/

    http://www.ace-ej.org/stop_post_foreclosure_no_fault_eviction_protest

    http://www.workers.org/2008/us/detroit_0501/

    Might be worth trying to create some conversations across the different people effected by this stuff. Or, those conversations may already be happening and I haven't seen it.

    take care,
    Nate

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousDecember 8, 2008 at 2:07 PM

    Word is also the Cook County Board President John Stroger also attended this press conference, pledged his support for the Republic Windows workers, offered fee county health care service visits to workers at the plant, and will support efforts by Cook County to curtail or suspend business with BoA until they do the right thing. And has issued a press release to that effect. - Dick R.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ProudOldLeftyDecember 8, 2008 at 2:26 PM

    Here are some ways to help the workers. (links are at my site noted below, I didn't want to gum up the Comment with too many links):

    1. Contribute to the UE (United Electrical) workers Local 1110 Solidarity Fund. The families have to eat, pay rent and utilities.

    2. Send an email message of support to the workers over the web.

    3. Send an email to Bank of America, demanding that they do the right thing.

    4. Or, do as Fred Klonsky did, and get out there and bring the workers some coffee!

    Links for all the support actions are here:
    http://www.community-organizer.com

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete

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