Workers Get Paid And End Sit-In At Chicago Factory - Obama Had Voiced Strong Support for Workers

[bigtree]

Dec 11, 2008

Laid-off workers whose sit-in at their closed factory came to symbolize Main Street's resentment of the Wall Street bailout accepted a settlement on Wednesday that provides them the severance they asked for and two months health care coverage, the parties involved said.

The workers occupying Republic Windows and Doors agreed to the deal worked out after days of negotiations that would provide each with about $7,000, putting an end to the sit-in that began on Friday.

The total cost of $1.75 million was covered by a loan of $1.35 million provided by Bank of America Corp and $400,000 from JPMorgan Chase & Co, both creditors of Republic, said U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, who helped mediate the negotiations.

Each of the more than 200 workers will be paid eight weeks salary, all accrued vacation and receive two months paid healthcare, Gutierrez said. The workers, given just three days notice of the plant's closing last week, had demanded severance covering the legally mandated two-month notice period plus the vacation pay.

"This money will only be used to pay the workers the benefits they are owed under the law, and it will not, under any circumstance, be used for corporate bonuses, luxury cars or any other perk for the owners of the plant," Gutierrez, an Illinois Democrat, said in a statement.

President-elect Barack Obama and other politicians have voiced support for the workers' cause, arguing the Wall Street bailout was not serving its purpose of loosening credit for Main Street businesses. Bank of America has tapped the bailout for $15 billion and JPMorgan for $25 billion.

read: http://www.postchronicle.com/news/breakingnews/article_212192404.shtml


“The workers who are asking for the benefits and payments that they have earned, I think they’re absolutely right and understand that what’s happening to them is reflective of what’s happening across this economy,” Obama said, earlier in the strike.

[LiberalEsto]

1. Bravo to those workers

They got shafted, and they organized to fight for their rights.

:fistbump: :woohoo:


We need more of that gutsiness in the U.S.

[Sebass1271]

2. What an Absolute Difference it makes to have A DEMOCRATIC

President in the white house as compare to a repub..... let's remember what Reagan did..

Bravo for our President Elect. I am very proud of him. American Workers FIRST.

[malaise]

3. Love it

GObama!

[riqster]

4. They know what Marley knew:

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: dont give up the fight!

Preacherman, dont tell me,
Heaven is under the earth.
I know you dont know
What life is really worth.
Its not all that glitters is gold;
All the story has never been told:
So now you see the light, eh!
Stand up for your rights. come on!

Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: dont give up the fight!
Get up, stand up: stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up: dont give up the fight!

Most people think,
Great God will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights. jah!

Get up, stand up! (jah, jah!)
Stand up for your rights! (oh-hoo!)
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up!)
Dont give up the fight! (life is your right!)
Get up, stand up! (so we cant give up the fight!)
Stand up for your rights! (lord, lord!)
Get up, stand up! (keep on struggling on!)
Dont give up the fight! (yeah!)

We sick an tired of-a your ism-skism game -
Dyin n goin to heaven in-a jesus name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty God is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you cant fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do? ),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah!)

So you better:
Get up, stand up! (in the morning! git it up!)
Stand up for your rights! (stand up for our rights!)
Get up, stand up!
Dont give up the fight! (dont give it up, dont give it up!)
Get up, stand up! (get up, stand up!)
Stand up for your rights! (get up, stand up!)
Get up, stand up! ( ... )
Dont give up the fight! (get up, stand up!)
Get up, stand up! ( ... )
Stand up for your rights!
Get up, stand up!
Dont give up the fight! /fadeout/

[surrealAmerican]

5. Glad to hear it.

Perhaps this will be a message to others in similar situations.

[Hannah Bell]

6. The workers who occupied the place & their union are responsible for the victory, NOT OBAMA.

Christ on a cracker.

They paid up because of the bad PR & the danger of a bad example.

[SammyWinstonJack]

7. !

:thumbsup:

[madokie]

8. And Obama's few words didn't make a difference,

I doubt that.

[Hannah Bell]

9. obama's super-special power!

if you think banks all jump to the tune of the president-elect....or the president...or elected officials generally...it's more the reverse.