- Uke Man VICTORY AT REPUBLIC WINDOWS AND DOORS! Workers Vote to Get Pay; Occupation Ends!
After 6 days occupying the plant, workers at Republic Window and Doors in Chicago voted to accept a settlement late last night.
The settlement totals $1.75million. It will provide the workers with: Eight weeks of pay they are owed under the federal WARN Act; 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. 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. In addition, the UE has started the "Window of Opportunity Fund" dedicated to re-opening the plant.
As the Local 1110 leaders characterized the settlement, "We fought to make them pay what they owe us, and we won." Read more about the settlement here.
We want to extend a big THANK YOU to all of you who participated in this campaign. The tremendous support and solidarity from the thousands of people like you around the country - and the world - who took the time to send messages to Bank of America and who rallied at banks across the country was crucial in winning this victory.
This is truly an historic victory for workers in the United States.
But this struggle is just the beginning! As the economic crisis deepens we need to launch a working class fight back. Rallies for a "People's Bailout" will continue today and throughout the rest of the week. Click here to find an action near you (updated daily). You can also take action online:
A friend posted this on a list serv I'm involved with. Quite a contrast!!
- Uke Man
Over the weekend insurgent attacks destroyed 160 US and NATO vehicles, mainly Humvees, bound for military use in Afghanistan. This is a major attack on munitions supplies, possibly signalling a very serious inroad by the Taliban and other resistance in Afghanistan (and now, Pakistan, where the attacks took place) on the military supply chain for the West.
Remniscent of the refusal of our government to allow pictures of flag-draped returning coffins, see for yourself the difference between the photo on CNN depicting this military strike against the US and NATO:
Music and Politics, Politics and Music!!! * * * Everything is political. We’re admonished, “Never discuss religion or politics.” Follow that advice, and we’ll have to quit talking altogether. * * * Well, the Uke Man speaks! * * * Keep track here of my musical shenanigans, my political ruminations, and - from time to time - some other interesting eruptions.
