Workers Remain In Shuttered Plant

Protest Becomes Symbol For Economic Mess; Meeting Set For Today To Discuss Standoff

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Chicago window factory workers in the fourth day of a sit-in at their former workplace will meet today with politicians, company owners and bank officials to help resolve the standoff.

The 200 workers demanding severance and vacation pay have become a national symbol for thousands of employees laid off nationwide. They occupied the plant of their former employer, Republic Windows and Doors, after the company abruptly fired them last week.

Today, Gov. Rod Blagojevich met with the workers, who began their sit-in on Friday. There are also meetings scheduled at City Hall and with U.S. Rep. Luis Gutierrez later today.

“We expect these banks to bail out these businesses,” Blagojevich said.

On Sunday, workers were  amazed by a mix of supporters, politicians and journalists who packed a foyer outside.

“We never expected this,” said Melvin Maclin, a factory employee and vice president of the local union that represents the workers. “We expected to go to jail.”

The Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky met Sunday with union workers as they were in the third day of a sit-in protest. CBS 2’s Pamela Jones was there.

Jackson, the civil rights icon and head of Rainbow-PUSH Coalition, approached Republic Windows and Doors amid signs and supporters, hugs and handshakes. He pledged his support for more than 200 workers who say they’ll stay at the factory all weekend to protest losing their jobs and benefits.

“These workers must be congratulated for having the courage in the great tradition of Dr. King … and in the tradition of Cesar Chavez, in the tradition of Rosa Parks,” Jackson said. “Your sitting down, in many ways, allows America to stand up. Workers all around the nation who are now facing massive layoffs. It’s your job, it’s your plant. Stay there and fight for it until justice comes and justice will come.”

He brought more than words. The Rainbow-PUSH Coalition donated some 300 turkeys, and bags of food passed hand to hand. It’s the only assembly line running here since the plant shut down Friday, reportedly because Bank of America – which received billions in the government bailout of financial institutions — would no longer extend the company’s line of credit.

It’s a situation Jackson calls unacceptable.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky visited the plant to give her breakdown of the company’s obligations to workers, including severance pay and health care benefits. Schakowsky told CBS 2 she plans to talk with members of the U.S. Treasury about the workers’ situation.

Also Sunday, President-elect Barack Obama called for more oversight of bank bailout funds and for the workers at Republic Windows to be given the pay and benefits they’ve earned.

“Number one, I think that these workers, if they have earned these benefits and their pay, then these companies need to follow through on those commitments,” Obama said during an appearance. “And number two, I think it is important for us to make sure that moving forward, any economic plan that we put in place helps businesses to meet payroll so that we’re not seeing these kinds of circumstances again.”

Leah Fried, an organizer for the United Electrical Workers union that represents the workers, said the company told the union that Bank of America has canceled its financing.

Bank of America received $25 billion as part of a government bailout. Some workers carried signs Sunday that said: “You got bailed out. We got sold out.”

The bank had said in a statement Saturday that it wasn’t responsible for Republic’s financial obligations to its employees. Republic has not commented on the sit-in.

Meanwhile, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said in a news release late Sunday that she had representatives at the factory investigating the closure.

“I am extremely concerned with the actions of this company, which are having a significant impact on employees and their families,” Madigan said.
One of the factory’s workers, Silvia Mazon, said in Spanish that she needs the money owed to her for an $1,800 monthly house payment. The 40-year-old from Cicero said she has enough money saved to survive for one month.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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