WHEREAS, on Friday, December 5, the owners of the Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago abruptly closed the plant, giving their employees only three days notice, in flagrant violation of the federal WARN Act (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act) requiring 60 days notice or pay for that period; and
WHEREAS, the workers at Republic Windows occupied the plant demanding that they receive more than $1 million in back vacation pay and severance pay owed to them by the company; and
WHEREAS, the plant occupation, a powerful form of labor struggle harking back to the sit-down strikes of the 1930s that built the CIO industrial unions, has been greeted by workers around the country, pointing the way forward; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. government and Federal Reserve are funneling $8.5 trillion to bail out Wall Street and the major banks, including $25 billion to Bank of America which cut off credit to the company; and
WHEREAS, the courageous workers at Republic Windows, including many immigrant workers, must not stand alone against finance capital, and instead should receive active support from all Chicago labor and workers around the country;
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the United Federation of Teachers convey its full solidarity with the Chicago sit-in strikers and encourage the Chicago Federation of Teachers to actively join picket lines and protests in support of their union brothers and sisters; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the UFT shall make a substantial donation to the UE Local 1110 Solidarity Fund (37 S. Ashland, Chicago, IL 60607); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the UFT join with unionists around the country, and encourage other New York City unions to do likewise, in picketing Bank of America affiliates in upcoming protest actions.
Below see three short videos on the Republic Windows plant occupation in Chicago from December 6.Chicago UE plant occupation video #1
Chicago UE plant occupation video #2
Chicago UE plant occupation video #3
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