Bank To Lend Credit To End Factory Sit-In

(CBS/AP)  Bank of America says it will extend credit to a Chicago window and door manufacturer whose workers have occupied the factory for five days.

The bank says it's willing to give the Republic Windows and Doors factory "a limited amount of additional loans" so it can resolve claims of employees who have staged a sit-in since Friday.

The factory closed last Friday after Bank of America canceled its financing.

Workers were given three days notice. But they refused to leave and vowed to stay there until receiving assurances they would receive severance and accrued vacation pay.

The bank has been criticized for cutting off the plant's credit after taking federal bailout money.

The sit-in by more than 200 workers at the factory stretched into its fifth day on Tuesday.

The workers' siege was the subject of a three-hour meeting Monday night that included representatives from Republic, Bank of America, the employees' union, U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., and Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias.

The workers complained that they were not receiving severance pay, accrued vacation pay or other benefits due them under the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN), which covers employees who lose their jobs in a plant closing or other mass layoff.

Since then, about 200 of the 240 laid-off workers have taken turns occupying the factory, declaring they will not leave until getting assurances they will receive what is due - and they are preventing the products their labor built from being removed from the premises.

Ricardo Caceres, 39, of Chicago has worked for Republic for 15 years as a window assembler.

"I'm confused and angry and wondering what's going on," Caceres said Monday. "I don't have money right now, I don't have a job."

The workers show up in groups of 50 or 60 to occupy the plant around the clock in eight-hour shifts.

On Monday community leaders handed out $5,000 worth of food and toys to the families of the workers, reports WBBM.

The standoff has come to embody mounting anger over the government's willingness to bail out deep-pocketed corporations but not average people, notes one labor organizer.

"There's a simplicity and straightforwardness to this particular case that anybody can wrap their head around," James Thindwa, executive director for Jobs With Justice in Chicago, told WBBM.

The protest - along with vocal support from President-elect Barack Obama, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, civil rights activists and others - has also created something else: A chance for unions that have been losing members and strength for years to show they still matter.

"I hope it's the beginning of a real fight-back movement," said Leah Fried, an organizer for the United Electrical Workers, which represents the Republic workers, who are mostly Hispanic.

The workers say the company violated the WARN Act because employees were not given 60 days' notice that they were losing their jobs.

Blagojevich on Monday ordered all state agencies to stop doing business with Bank of America to pressure the bank into using federal bailout money it received to help the laid-off workers.

Meanwhile, Blagojevich was arrested Tuesday on charges he brazenly conspired to sell or trade Obama's vacant Senate seat to the highest bidder as part of what federal prosecutors called a "political corruption crime spree."

[jsd330]

beauin Canada is almost 100% union.

[ford555551]

The criminals who run Bank of America are friend s of Bush & Cheney, so it did not surprise me when Crook Bush pardoned 5 bankers last week (Bank from Texas) who stole millions of dollars because most likely he got the share of that loot when he was the governor of Texas. 25 billion Bank of America got from bail out will most likely end up in Bush, Cheney pockets when they retire.

[drputt45]

OK, so BOA gets bail out money from the feds and BOA gives that money to the factory and the factory gives that money to the terminated employees.

Did you ever get the feeling it would be cheaper to simply give our tax money direct to these employees and not have to pay all the moneyhandlers along the way?

[presjfk]

There are some very poorly run companies in this country. Republic has been around for decades and has one bad year and is ready to fold. GM has been around over 100 years, was #1 in the industry for most of those years and now, after a bad year is ready to implode without government assistance. Anheuser Busch sells out to a Belgian company that is practically a newcomer in the beer world. The buyer, Inbev has many billions more than Anheuser Busch, AB has had the best market in the world for beer for over 100 years. AB should be in a position to but Inbev not the other way around. What a f-n joke this country is...

[xlib]

rafterman-regarding your denial of your liberal msm, then why is your queen nance and others pushing for the fairness doctrine?? Why hasn''t the story on charlie rangle and his tax problems been printed??? Why wasn''t the news on pelosi''s pac organization giving over 100,000 to her hubby''s media business in the news?? See, you sit there, all drooly mouthed and read the garbage YOUR media puts out and you don''t look any further. Too much time at the kool aid vat.

[xlib]

irmcvet971-what model of brown shirt did you order?? I bet you a, are the loose fit with tab collar. You are just the leeming your chosen one is looking for.
Now, let''s look at some facts AND history shall we. First of all, let''s make this Illinois governor slime bag a REPUBLICAN, would you post the same response if it were at the beginning of the Bush administration? DON''T THINK SO. See, your chosen one has so much in his past and you people just ignore it. As for the old facism ploy, sonny, your guy is full of facist and marxist leanings it''s pathetic. Say, I bet you are in favor of the fairness doctrine, aren''t you. You do know what that''s called. And, bet you have a gun or twelve in your home. Well, sonny, the only gun owners will be the members of his militia (check out his speech from 7/2/08 in Colorado). Then again, you''ll probably be in that militia dealing with all us nasty conservatives.
Work on that goose step.

[xlib]

I do recall a year or so ago when Bank of America was pushing credit cards to those who didn''t have to supply social security numbers or any credit info. I do remember that. So, along with fannie and freddie who gave mortgages to those who couldn''t afford them we have this. So, putting two and two toegether we have major institutions who went belly up due to bad business practices and who suffers-US!!!
Ah, but yes, since fannie and freddie are institutions filled with dems, it was the intention that was uppermost.
And, from what I hear, these practices are going to continue. What''s do they say about insanity??

[beauin]

Ha ha still no jobs, all they get is a little money, try finding a job, most of them cannot speak english....Unions another reason to move to Canada

[zzy-izzy]

markjessup1 this is another law it has nothing to do with the money owed these people and if they have illegal people working for the company it''s not the other workers fault it is the companys fault not the other peoples fault it is the companys fault.

[zzy-izzy]

d7767w good wages and benefits are not a gift.