How Closing Manufacturing Plants Can Be Transformed into Community

How...

How Closing Manufacturing Plants Can Be Transformed into Community

Is being used to destroy a movement... a letter from Alan Maki to David Shove who publishes the "Progressive Calendar."

David,

I found it interesting saving the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant is not even mentioned in this posting in your “Progressive Calendar” by its organizers. Nor is support for Senate File 607 mentioned.

I find all of this very alarming, especially seeing as how the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability has been working in league with Lynn Hinkle and Global Exchange using Alternet.org to disseminate false and very misleading information.

Since the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability and Global Exchange are working to get the Ford Plant demolished under the guise of projecting a new “green” community in place of the Ford Plant in what appears to be simply a front working on behalf of the Ford Motor Company as the pretext to taking the wrecking ball to the plant I have very little confidence that this H.I.R.E. Minnesota is anything other than one more front for the Minnesota Democratic Farmer-Labor Party’s arm controlled by the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, the insurance industry and a bunch of greedy contractors waiting to get their money-grubbing fingers in the trough, again.

I think the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability has a lot of nerve and gall claiming to be advocating for creating and saving millions of jobs when they can’t even convince their Democratic friends in the Minnesota state legislature to pass S.F. 607 to save the two-thousand jobs of workers at the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant as Ford took the wealth created by these workers and built a new Ranger plant in Thailand.

And, as far as energy is concerned, ARISE, the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability and Global Exchange have been completely silent when it comes to the future of the hydro dam that tax-payers have subsidized to the hilt which has powered the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant since it was built with power left over for the Ford Motor Company to sell and profit from rather than supplying this electricity for the cities and public schools--- I guess we should tremble at the thought of public institutions not having to pay for the same electricity the Ford Motor Company received for free.

At some point, these promoters of these conferences are going to have to be held accountable to the working people of Minnesota and the Twin Cities not to the philanthropists providing them with funding to support Obama’s meaningless platitudes.

Here is the article being distributed by Global Exchange via alternet.org and others like “Progressives for Obama.”

http://www.alternet.org/story/106425/

Outright lies and misinformation. As anyone knows, the only intent of S.F. 607 is to save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant and hydro dam intact as an industrial unit. S.F. 607 is not about destroying the plant or any part of it to create this “pie-in-the-sky” vision of what a “green community” is.

Half the businesses and even the banks in this community are teetering on the verge of bankruptcy as it is and these people want to bring in competition to drive the existing small businesses out. It makes no sense at all.

Does anyone really believe the vision of these people is to create a “new green economy and community” by taking the wrecking ball to a perfectly sound and useable plant and that new factories are going to be built in its place? No. The Ford Motor Company and land developers are using these fairy-tales pushed by the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability and Global Exchange as the cover to take the wrecking ball to the plant after which they will proceed as intended to build their high-rise upscale and racially segregated housing.

What the heck, neither the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability nor Global Exchange have been anywhere to be seen as people in St. Paul and Minneapolis are victims of home foreclosures and evictions, leaving thousands of homes vacant and unoccupied for years now as they deteriorate and rot.

Or that these people will fight for real living wage jobs when over two thousand poverty paid workers are presently employed within a six-block area immediately adjacent to the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant with its nearest business neighbor the upscale, high-priced Lund’s Supermarket which pays its employees a miserly minimum wage right across from UAW Local’s hall and not one single step has been taken to organize Lund’s employees?

To top it off, Barack Obama came to the Twin Cities and was so arrogant he didn’t even mention the plight of the workers who will be losing their jobs if the Ford Motor Company has its way… I guess workers need to occupy the plant to save it if they want to get Obama’s attention.

In fact, the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability and Global Exchange are so arrogant that they are proceeding with these forums and bringing forward their grand schemes of new green communities without so much as even asking those employed at the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant what it is they want. Apparently they know the answer they will get will not be pleasing to the ears of the philanthropists funding their little think tanks to come up with these hair-brained schemes.

As far as “tax-breaks,” no corporation in Minnesota has received more tax-breaks than the Ford Motor Company in the name of creating a green manufacturing operation with the promise that the plant and the jobs would stay… one would think that the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability and Global Exchange would be organizing in the community to force politicians to coerce the Ford Motor Company to keep its promises rather than abscond with the profits to Thailand.

To what extent any of these other organizations are willing participants in undermining the struggle to save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant behind mobilizing people into supporting more calls inviting other corporations to perpetrate the same fraud on tax-payers that the Ford Motor Company is being allowed to get away with needs to be explored.

Certainly many of the other organizations must not be aware of the struggles for equality which have been won over the years that are “people’s investment” in and of themselves… for where else in the Twin Cities can people of color and women find such jobs where they receive equal pay for equal work and most all known institutionalized discriminatory barriers against people of color and women in the workplace have ended.

Finally, workers fought long and hard for the eight hour day. Workers at the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant were forced to accept ten-hour days four days a week often forced into five, six, and even seven day work weeks by management working under conditions of brutal speed-up as the precondition for this plant remaining in operation. Working under such conditions takes a brutal toll on the human body hard for anyone to imagine who has not had to endure such terms of employment. But, workers needed these jobs to survive and they put their bodies and their families through this ordeal with the understanding their jobs would be secure.

Outfits like the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability and Global Exchange owe it to Ford Workers and the community they are trying to influence to struggle with the rest of us to save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant rather than running these types of diversions around this important issue.

Ironically these outfits like Global Exchange have been touting a dubious and very questionable “fact” that they are working in alliance and coalition with UAW Local 879 when in fact a number of the officers of this local viciously attacked me only recently for “distributing green propaganda” at the plant.

I think we need to find out why the Alliance for Metropolitan Stability and Global Exchange did not get their members in motion to organize a massive push to get Senate File 607 through the Senate Committee on Business, Industry and Jobs dominated by their Democratic Party friends including committee chair, Senator James Metzen who had an eleven to seven Democratic majority and Senator David Tomassoni’s motion to move it out of Committee failed.

I, like many others, are now curious as to how these people now say they are working in coalition with UAW Local 879 in support of their new green vision under the aegis of S.F. 607?

Does anyone know of any discussion at a UAW Local 879 meeting authorizing the local to work in coalition to demolish this plant and destroy these jobs… workers at the plant who I have spoken to know nothing about their union participating in such dirty deeds… but then again they went to work everyday thinking the sacrifices they--- and tax-payers made--- assured them of job security… never did they think their own leaders would refuse to tell them that the Ford Motor Company was building a new Ranger Plant with the wealth they created only to put them out of a job onto the street.

And, I don’t quite understand how it is that these student “organizers” with Global Exchange and their “coalition,” ARISE, have operated at a Macalester College under the watchful eyes of Peter Rachleff a labor historian and activist without getting any counsel.

Anyways, perhaps someone attending this conference will discuss some of these concerns. And perhaps Global Exchange will have the moral courage to admit that the information they provided concerning S.F 607 was just plain wrong and not true… perhaps due to shoddy journalism, perhaps motivated by something more sinister.

It is unfortunate that the struggle to save the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant got off to a bad start with a big-shot from the Minnesota AFL-CIO, Mark Froemke, proclaiming this was all a done deal and nothing could be done. Since people rejected this defeatist attitude, now we have to contend with the fairy-tale illusions being brought forward about how we need to demolish a certified green plant to make way for some kind of Disneyland/Epcott Center sci-fi community imagined in one of Lynn Hinkle’s extraordinary dreams which he hawks from conference to conference as plant after plant closes and gets demolished smothering more jobs in the debris.

Alan Maki

--------3 of 15--------

From: Maura Brown and Jennifer Jimenez-Wheatley

Subject: Green jobs 12.16 6:30pm

Alliance for Metropolitan Stability

How do you grow the economy and ensure thousands of JOBS for Minnesotans? H.I.R.E Minnesota (Healthcare, Infrastructure, and Renewable Energy)

Town Hall Meeting

Tuesday, December 16

6:30-8:00 pm

Minneapolis Urban League

2100 Plymouth Avenue N, Minneapolis, MN 55411

As America rebuilds its economy, green industries will be a major factor in creating jobs and refueling our economic growth:

* Governor Tim Pawlenty wants $3.65 million in tax breaks for companies investing in Minnesota green jobs from 2010-2011

* President-elect Barack Obama wants 10 percent of electricity to come from energy-efficient sources by 2010 and 1 million homes in low-income neighborhoods

It makes sense! Smart green investments in infrastructure will

* JUMP-START our ECONOMY,

* CREATE and PRESERVE millions of JOBS

* REDUCE our OIL DEPENDENCY and

* EASE the CLIMATE CRISIS

JOIN the conversation!! BE Heard! BE Involved!

Come and learn about green collar jobs and local construction opportunities in our communities Light dinner will be served and there will be musical entertainment RSVP online to let the Alliance know you're coming

H.I.R.E. Minnesota is a coalition of community groups led by the Summit Academy OIC (SAOIC). Coalition members include: American Indian OIC, East Metro OIC, Anishinabe OIC, Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota, Minnesota Baptist Convention, Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, Stairstep, ISAIAH, Insight News. For more information on the campaign, read the recent article in the Insight News.

Maura Brown and Jennifer Jimenez-Wheatley

Alliance for Metropolitan Stability

2525 E Franklin Avenue, Suite 200

Minneapolis, MN 55406

Alan L. Maki

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

Alternet and Global Exchange working with Democratic Party hacks publish lies about St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant

Cassandra,

Why Angela Walker and Global Exchange knowingly published all of these lies needs to be explained. Any legitimate reporter would have authenticated such an article and sought comments from Minnesota State Legislators.

It is interesting that Alternet allowed Global Exchange to peddle these lies without confirming anything in this wholly fabricated story; and then they used Progressives for Obama to do the rest of their dirty work and give these lies credibility… par for the course with Carl Davidson and Tom Hayden.

We obviously need to do some research to find out the extent to which Global Exchange and Alternet regularly publish these kinds of lies; who they get their money from etc.

I have posted this in the “contact us” at Alternet.

Thank you for bringing this article to my attention.

This is nothing but lies.

You can look for yourself on the Minnesota Legislature’s web site and you can see that there is no such activity as stated here around S.F. 607:

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/getbill.php?session=ls84&number=SF607&version=list

I have also Cc’ed this article to Dee DePass a reporter who has previously written articles about the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant.

This is the same kind of crap and rumors floated in order to thwart opposition to demolishing the Oldsmobile Plant in Lansing, Michigan… again, in the same way Michigan Legislators remained silent as these kinds of rumors were floated. The politicians and big-business have honed and fine-tuned their lies using their front groups.

I have not been able to find one single presently employed member of this Local who knows anything about the Ford Local being in any kind of “coalition” as referred to. If such a coalition has been formed it has been organized behind the backs of the membership.

No doubt you will be seeing this kind of thing in Detroit, too.

Hinkle and this group are promoting a “people’s ‘green’ capitalism.”

They know this will never fly but their intent is to do what these phony progressives are doing with all issues from ending the war to single-payer universal health care--- trying to thwart and derail any movements aimed at saving jobs and plants.

As far as the hydro dam everyone says it has been sold but neither Ford nor any government officials will provide the details of the sale.

These same politicians enabled Ford to get away without paying one single penny in property taxes for one of the parcels of land ever since Ford owned the property.

They run up phony schemes that sound good but they have no intent in fighting for making people think something good is in the works while the people in power are scamming behind everyone’s backs to do their dirty work.

Lynne Hinckle and UAW leaders have never organized workers anywhere… the present UAW local leadership dropped the ball on SF 607 as a means to save this plant and two-thousand jobs… they couldn’t even muster the support to push SF 607 through one lousy Senate committee that was dominated by Democrats.

The members of this local have never been consulted about this scheme.

The Democrats who make up this Senate Committee chaired by a banker, Jim Metzen, even colluded to make sure the minutes of the meeting were not kept properly.

As you can see, I have Cc’ed this to Minnesota State Senator David Tomassoni who is on this Senate Committee from which there has been no action on SF 607.

In fact, this property upon which is presently situated the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant is going to be turned into a money pit for money grubbing real-estate speculators with poverty wage jobs for workers.

St. Paul needs to protect the housing it already has which is being foreclosed on with families being evicted daily and the Minnesota Legislature is too cowardly to act to defend homeowners. Vacant foreclosed on homes are all over the city right now.

State legislators allowed United States Steel to close down an iron ore mine which is part of their taconite operation.

The only viable alternative to save auto and steel in this country is nationalization of the auto and steel industries and the Democrats are too cowardly to consider this option.

The only “green solution” being sought here is money green… it’s the only green that capitalists and their bought and paid for politicians know.

These people can “envision” all they want to but the only thing they are going to see in the days ahead is these Ford workers getting the shaft.

Now, it is up to David Tomassoni to either confirm the details in this article or to set the record straight.

Both Leo Gerard and Carl Pope are part of this corrupt fiasco, too.

Let us here from Senator David Tomassoni and State Representative Bill Hilty just what the Minnesota Legislature is considering, if anything, concerning the St. Paul Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant… they have an obligation and responsibility to set the record straight.

We see the exact same thing taking place with the anti-war movement and the movement for single-payer universal health care; the same method of operation took place around the impeachment issue, too. We run into the exact same thing with efforts to defend the Big Bog from peat mining.

I would also note that it is the responsibility of any union to struggle to save the jobs of its members not to push the demolition of the plant where they work.

To date, where ever these “green” schemes have been pushed workers end up with one-half to one-third of their former pay… just ask any steelworker who lost their job in the steel mills now building wind generating equipment.

Alan

Option for Obama: Transforming Manufacturing Plants into Community-Saving Business Ventures

Photo: One of Ford’s Largest Plants

Our Future
Is With A New
Energy Economy

By Angela Walker
AlterNet.org

Nov. 12, 2008 - Hit hard by the slowdown in the marketplace and higher fuel prices, Ford Motor Company recently experienced its largest quarterly loss in its 105-year history. With people evacuating their fuel-inefficient vehicles, Ford is experiencing its delayed rude awakening about the unsustainability of an auto industry geared towards producing pickups and sport utility vehicles. Despite plans to introduce six small cars made in Europe to the U.S. market, Ford today announced another 10 percent reduction in salaried payroll costs and will cut as many as 2,200 salaried jobs by January.

Workers and Students Seeking Green Solutions

The oldest Ford plant still in operation — the Ford Twin Cities Assembly Plant in St. Paul, Minnesota — will be the epitome of the changes to come. With plans to shut down in 2011, an additional 900 jobs will be lost in a plant that used to employ 2,000 workers. Communities throughout the state have already experienced the brunt of the country’s economic downturn, Minnesota having lost 50,000 manufacturing jobs between 2000 and 2006 alone, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

“We’re just hemorrhaging,” states former United Auto Worker (UAW) official, Lynn Hinkle, who retired over a year ago from a 30-year career at the Twin Cities Ford plant.

Yet something unusual is in the works that could change the future of this 140-acre manufacturing site and convert it into a model for green manufacturing.

A coalition of the local UAW 879, McAllister University students, and affordable housing and environmental groups have formed the Alliance to Reindustrialize for a Sustainable Economy (ARISE) to design a green manufacturing site. The ARISE project is currently being considered by the Minnesota Legislature under Senate File 607 as a way to transition workers into a mixed-use facility for green manufacturing.

ARISE is re-envisioning how people look at industry, which historically has collided with the environmental movement. Their reindustrialization plans serve as an opportunity for industry to play a key role in the green economy.

“It is becoming increasingly clear to people in the union movement that our job security is dependent upon the new energy economy,” states Hinkle. “If you’re about family sustaining jobs, you have to connect global warming solutions and jobs otherwise you’re going to have neither.”

Ford’s current training center would be converted into a green jobs training program for onsite wind turbine manufacturing and installation, and light rail car production. A plan to expand the light rail system is in the works to reach out to surrounding, traditionally low-income communities, which have been working with ARISE on the reindustrialization plans.

The Ford plant, located on the Mississippi River, is already connected to a hydroelectric system, which produces 18 megawatts of hydropower, and has powered the plant for over 80 years. Additionally, there exists a maze of tunnels onsite that were originally dug out for silica, used in making glass for windshields. These tunnels may be used for ground-source heating.

“We believe there’s enough green energy sources on site to go totally noncarbon,” says Hinkle.

With 140 acres, the coalition has the space to get creative with its envisioning and holistic approach. Businesses would be brought in to develop retail shops on the lower levels of buildings with affordable, residential units above. Walkways up and over the buildings would connect rooftop restaurants and bars to urban gardens with beautiful views of the Mississippi River. To connect the shops to the light rail, small electric vehicles would be produced onsite.

Throughout the last century, manufacturing jobs and industry have played a significant role in the growth of cities and development of communities by providing families with low entry-level jobs. Communities cannot afford to continue experiencing the off-shoring of their manufacturing jobs, especially during the current economic downturn. ARISE’s plan is to develop this site as a prototype for turning brown fields, or old industrial grounds, into green manufacturing sites to support green jobs and sustainable community development.

Student group Summer of Solutions — in partnership with economic justice organization, Global Exchange — sees the future of their generation invested in this project.

“If we’re going to build the green economy, we have to start here,” says McAllister graduate Joseph Adamji. “The green jobs movement and the whole idea of shifting and expanding economic opportunity are to make social changes happen. As much as this project is about the Ford site, we need to use it as a model for how we develop communities, intentionally and sustainably.”

City planners hope to see this space used as a central hub for sustainability projects for St. Paul and beyond.

“We could redevelop old manufacturing cities like Detroit and bring economic opportunities and prosperity,” states Adamji. “We’re trying to say that industry can play a role in the green economy.”

Decarbonize, reindustrialize, equalize, is what ARISE is saying. The new energy economy can be used to battle lagging economic opportunities and social inequity. ARISE hopes to inspire communities — from Flint, Michigan to Richmond, California — to decide how they want to develop a new sense of community. Reindustrialization can be part of this process by formulating ways to generate green energy, mass transit, higher density and energy efficient buildings, and affordable housing.

“This is an opportunity to change the landscape literally and figuratively,” says Hinkle. “What a great basis to rebuild the union movement. It’s an opportunity for the green union movement to emerge, where unions can stand center stage and create aspirations for our entire society.”

Angela Walker is the media director for Global Exchange.
© 2008 Independent Media Institute. All rights reserved.
View this story online at: http://www.alternet.org/story/106425/

Alan L. Maki

58891 County Road 13

Warroad, Minnesota 56763

Phone: 218-386-2432

Cell phone: 651-587-5541

E-mail: amaki000@centurytel.net

Check out my blog:

Thoughts From Podunk

http://thepodunkblog.blogspot.com/

US worker sit-in wins all demands, but workers lose jobs

Update #2: Vote is 'Yes' at Republic; Plant Occupation Ends
10 December, 2008 http://www.ueunion.org/

CHICAGO After the conclusion of negotiations Wednesday evening, the
membership of Local 1110, more than 200 workers, met in the plant cafeteria
to hear and consider the tentative settlement that had been worked out by UE
negotiators over the past three days.

The settlement was approved by a unanimous vote.

'Justice - We Did It!'

Following the vote, the UE members, led by Local President Armando Robles,
marched out of the plant, chanting "We did it!" in English and Spanish.

Pres. Robles stepped to the microphones outside the front entrance to the
plant, where a throng of reporters and cameras had been waiting. He
announced the end of the occupation and said that justice had been achieved.

UE Western Region President Carl Rosen then described the negotiations,
summarized the settlement agreement, and commented on the significance of
the struggle and the achievement.

Pay, Health Care, Vacation Pay

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

eight weeks of pay they are owed under the federal WARN Act; provided with 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

Third Party Fund

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.

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

'Historic Victory'

UE Director of Organization Bob Kingsley spoke on behalf of the National
Union, describing the outcome of the occupation as "a victory for workers
everywhere," and as "an historic victory for America's labor movement."

Kingsley went on to call the settlement "a win for all working men and women
who face uncertainty, unfairness and job loss in a troubled economy."

'The Window of Opportunity' Foundation
Kingsley then announced the creation of a new foundation, dedicated to
reopening the plant. It will be initiated with seed money from the UE
national union and the thousands of dollars of donations to the UE Local
1110 Solidarity Fund that have come in from across the country and around
the world in just the past five days.

Melvin Maclin of Local 1110 announced the name of the foundation, which was
chosen by the workers themselves: the Window of Opportunity Fund. Maclin
said that the fund will be open to receive donations from all friends of the
Republic workers and supporters of their struggle.

Rosen introduced U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez, praising the congressman for his
tireless work in behalf of the Republic workers and indispensible role in
bringing about the settlement. Gutierrez spoke at some length, and then
introduced David Rudis, Illinois State President, Bank of America.

Workers Occupy Factory in struggle for their rights

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Workers Occupy Factory in struggle for their rights

Saturday, December 6, 2008
Workers Occupy Factory in struggle for their rights
Saturday, December 6, 2008

Workers Occupy Factory in struggle for their rights

"Republic Windows and Doors workers require the support of all working people. They fight for our rights as they fight for their own rights."

Maggie Bird
President,
Midwest Casino Workers Organizing Council






Workers Occupy Factory

Date: Sat, 6 Dec 2008

Incidences similar to this may soon be taking place across the United States. Seize the day, seize the hour, seize the means of production.

The workers of Republic Windows and Doors are right this minute occupying their factory, which was due to close at 10:00 AM this morning. The workers are fighting for pay for their lost vacation days and for the 75 days notice that they are guaranteed under Illinois law. This is the first time in many years workers have taken the bold, militant strategy of occupying their place of work to demand justice. The plan to occupy the plant until the hear the results of the next round of negotiations Monday afternoon. THEY NEED TO KNOW THEY HAVE OUR SUPPORT!!!

A rally has been planned for 12:00 Noon tomorrow.

Please attend.

BUT WE SHOULD ORGANIZE A CONSTANT PRESENCE OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS PICKETING OUTSIDE THE FACTORY! BRING FOOD AND COFFEE FOR THE WORKERS. It is our presence and the press that is the workers best defense against the police raiding the factory.

These workers are fighting for all of us!!! As the economic crisis deepens we need to launch a working class fight back.

These workers are the starting point and deserve our full support.

Go to…

Republic Windows & Doors
1333 N. Hickory
On Goose Island, near the intersection of Division & Clyborn



Chicago factory occupied



December 6, 2008

WORKERS OCCUPYING the Republic Windows & Doors factory slated for closure are vowing to remain in the Chicago plant until they win the $1.5 million in severance and vacation pay owed them by management.

In a tactic rarely used in the U.S. since the labor struggles of the 1930s, the workers, members of United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (UE) Local 1110, refused to leave the plant on December 5, its last scheduled day of operation.

"We decided to do it because this is money that belongs to us," said Maria Roman, who's worked at the plant for eight years. "These are our rights."

Word of the occupation spread quickly both among labor and immigrant rights activists--the overwhelming majority of the workers are Latinos. Seven local TV news stations showed up to do interviews and live reports, and a steady stream of activists arrived to bring donations of food and money and to plan solidarity actions.

Management claims that it can't continue operations because its main creditor, Bank of America (BoA), refuses to make any more loans to the company. After workers picketed BoA headquarters December 3, bank officials agreed to sit down with Republic management and UE to discuss the matter at a December 5 meeting arranged by U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill), said UE organizer Leah Fried.

BoA had said that it couldn't discuss the matter with the union directly without written approval from Republic's management. But Republic representatives failed to show up at the meeting, and plant managers prepared to close the doors for good--violating the federal WARN Act that requires 60 days notice of a plant closure.

The workers decided this couldn't go unchallenged. "The company and Bank of America are throwing the ball to one another, and we're in the middle," said Vicente Rangel, a shop steward and former vice president of Local 1110.

Many workers had suspected the company was planning to go out of business--and perhaps restart operations elsewhere. Several said managers had removed both production and office equipment in recent days.

Furthermore, while inventory records indicated there were plenty of parts in the plant, workers on the production line found shortages. And the order books, while certainly down from the peak years of the housing boom, didn't square with management's claims of a total collapse. "Where did all those windows go?" one worker asked.

Workers were especially outraged that Bank of America, which recently received a bailout in taxpayer money, won't provide credit to Republic. "They get $25 billion from the government, and won't loan a few million to this company so workers can keep their jobs?" said Ricardo Caceres, who has worked at the plant for six years.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

THE MEMBERS of Local 1110 have a history of struggle. In 2004, they decertified the Central States Joint Board--a union notorious for corruption and sweetheart contracts with management--and brought in UE, a far more democratic organization.

In May of this year, Local 1110 mobilized for a contract by organizing a "practice" picket, and 70 workers used their lunch break to confront the boss with a petition listing their demands. The workers were able to turn back company's effort to win major concessions and won solid pay increases.Now, management is trying to get revenge by pocketing money that belongs to the workers.

UE officials and workers acknowledge that it will be difficult to stop the plant from closing. But they're determined to get the money owed to them--and they believe that by fighting, they can set an example for other workers facing layoffs and plant closures as the recession deepens.

Negotiations are set for Monday, December 8. Whatever happens, however, the workers have already sent a message to employers that if they violate workers rights and the law, they can expect a fight.

"This is a message to the workers of America," said Vicente Rangel, the shop steward. "If we stand together, we will prevail until justice is done, and we get what we're due."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

What you can do

If you live in the Chicago area, come to a rally on Saturday, December 6, at 12 Noon at Republic Windows, 1333 N. Hickory in Chicago, on Goose Island.

If negotiations with Bank of America fail to resolve the issue, there will be a picket of BoA's Chicago headquarters at 231 S. LaSalle on Tuesday, December 9 at 12 noon.



Members of Local 1110 need your support.

Make checks payable to the UE Local 1110 Solidarity Fund, and mail to:
37 S. Ashland, Chicago, IL 60607.

Messages of support can be sent to leahfried@gmail.com.

For more information, call UE at 312-829-8300.

At the Jobs with Justice Web site, you can send a message of protest to Bank of America (http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/bankofamerica/).