Workers Win Offer from BofA in Chicago Factory Sit-In

For the past six days hundreds of union workers have refused to leave the plant, staging a factory sit-in seldom seen in this country since the 1930s.

The workers say they won’t leave until the factory is reopened or they receive severance pay and accrued vacation time. The factory was closed last week after the factory owners said Bank of America cut off the company’s line of credit.

On Monday, Governor Blagojevich ordered state agencies to stop doing business with Bank of America until it uses some of its federal bailout money to keep the factory open.

On Tuesday the Republic Windows & Doors victory won a victory – Bank of America offered loans to the firm to resolve the pay dispute.

In a statement the bank said it was “prepared to provide a limited amount of additional loans to Republic to help fund a comprehensive resolution of Employee Claims.” Labor organizers say the sit-in will continue until a resolution is reached.

The factory sit-in has attracted attention and renewed a discussion about the federal government’s bailout of the banking industry. On Sunday civil rights leader Jesse Jackson met with the laid off workers.

Democracy Now co-host Juan Gonzalez has been covering this story from the ground in Chicago for the New York Daily News. He is joined in the Chicago studio by Raul Flores, a 25 year-old plant worker who had worked at Republic for eight years and Mark Meinster an organizer with United Electrical Workers.

Juan Gonzalez, Democracy Now! co-host and New York Daily News columnist.

Mark Meinster, an organizer with United Electrical Workers.

Raul Flores, a 25-year-old plant worker who had worked at Republic for eight years.