Remember the Republic Windows sit-in? Well, workers in Chicagoland are fighting back again.
This Monday, 500 workers at the Chicago-based apparel firm Hart Schaffner & Marx will hold a rally and historic "sit in" vote to fight for their jobs as major lender and TARP fund recipient Wells Fargo & Co. pushes for a bankruptcy closure of the facility.
Chicago-area Factory Making President Obama's Suits is Threatened with Closure by Bailout Recipient Wells Fargo
The 500 workers will be joined by Rep. Phil Hare, Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias & other state and national leaders.
[Update: They voted for a sit-in!]
More, after the fold.
Rep. Phil Hare, who spent 13 years as a Hartmarx employee, described himself as "livid" at the bank, which accepted $25 billion in federal bailout funds. He went on to enlist the help of Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). Rep. Jan Schakowsky, whose great-aunt found a job with Hartmarx after emigrating from Russia, called Wells Fargo CEO John Strumpf and urged him to keep the company running. Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias, meanwhile, sent a letter to Strumpf threatening to sever the state's business with the bank if Hartmarx was ultimately liquidated.
Illinois Progress
Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias is fighting for workers by talking the language Wells Fargo understands: He'll pull 8 billion dollars:
The fight to keep the Hartmarx Corp. suit factory in Des Plaines alive stepped up Thursday when the state treasurer threatened to pull Illinois' business from Wells Fargo & Co. if the bank backs a bid that could lead to liquidating the company.
"Unless the company remains open, they will not be doing business with the state of Illinois any longer," Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias told a crowd of workers outside the factory, who gathered on their lunch break.
snip
Wells Fargo is the custodian for the $8 billion Illinois state portfolio, according to Scott Burnham, spokesman for the Illinois Treasurer's office.
Chicago Tribune
Video from Friday's rally:
Hartmarx workers are members of the union Workers United, an SEIU affiliate. Workers United is a union representing more than 150,000 workers in the US and Canada who work in the laundry, food service, hospitality, gaming, apparel, textiles manufacturing and distribution industries.
Workers United is a new union with a history of more than 100 years, and includes members from many predecessor unions, including the ILGWU, ACTWU, UNITE and UNITE HERE unions.
Congressman Phil Hare tells some truth to power:
"Wells Fargo has received $25 billion in taxpayer assistance through TARP. In other words, the workers Wells Fargo may throw out on the street have been subsidizing its operations during these tough economic times. So much for returning the favor."
-- Congressman Phil Hare
I expect there to be a sit-in strike. [Update: apparently we should not call it a strike for legal reasons. Just a sit-in. It's action that matters by whatever name]
We should all help as we can. I will update with any news and with any information I find about any fundraising to support the workers and the union.
Workers United and Illinois Progress will have coverage of this.
We are going to see more and more worker action.
Update I: From Elana Levin of Workers United in the comments:
they voted for sit-in (5+ / 0-)
Recommended by:meg, TomP, brushysage, Bene Gesserit1, Susipsych
press release from the vote and rally is online here
Just so we're clear (because there are legal implications to the word strike)
"The workers voted in favor of a "sit in" style action, which means that if Wells Fargo or a buyer tries to begin liquidation or close the factory, the workers will respond by physically remaining at their job site."
I am so proud of these strong union members and all the great folks coming out to support them (like TomP)
by Elana Levin on Mon May 11, 2009 at 10:46:46 AM PDT
Elana Levin