Republic Windows and Doors
Encyclopedia
Republic Windows and Doors was a Chicago, Illinois-based producer of vinyl
replacement window
s. The company was founded in 1965 by William Spielman. The company was declared bankrupt on December 2, 2008. The property was put under the control of its major creditors, Bank of America
and JPMorgan Chase.
warehouse had noticed that key pieces of equipment were being removed. The leaders of United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America
http://www.ueunion.org (UE) Local 1110, workers in the factory, contacted the national union, concerned that the plant was going to be closed. Despite company assurances that the missing machinery had merely been removed to make way for more modern equipment, the union began covertly monitoring the plant. One night, while monitoring the plant, UE Local 1110 President and Republic maintenance worker Armando Robles
and UE union organizer Mark Meinster plotted a strategy to occupy the factory in the event of a plant closing.
When the company's 260 employees learned that the plant was indeed closing permanently on December 2, 2008, they came to collect their paychecks. The company informed them that the employees would not be compensated for their accrued sick or vacation days and that their health insurance would be terminated on December 5.
The union lodged a complaint that the company was acting in violation of the WARN Act, a Federal law that requires companies to give workers 60 days' notice before mass layoffs. In total, the union claimed that the workers were owed $1.5 million in vacation and severance pay, as well as an extension in their medical benefits.
. The union at Republic Windows has since filed charges against this action.
factory began an organized sitdown strike
to protest alleged violation of federal labor law by Republic in that the company did not give the workers 60 days notice prior to the announcement of closure (this, however, was allegedly based upon the lack of lending from Bank of America).
The sit-in lasted until the workers reached a settlement with the factory over severance, vacation time, and temporary health care benefits; the settlement, which was reached on December 11 and amounted over $1.75 million, was negotiated by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America
(of whose Local 1110 branch the workers were members), Republic owners and Bank of America over three days.
On December 10, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase agreed to create a $1.75 million fund to pay the workers their back pay and benefits and to provide two months of health insurance coverage.
On December 15, 2008, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy
.
-based company that produces environmentally friendly building materials, announced that it had purchased the buildings and assets of Republic Windows. The company announced that it intended to hire back all of the former factory workers. This deal would have to be approved by the Republic Windows creditors and the bankruptcy court.
prosecutors charged that the sudden plant closing in December 2008 was part of a plot by CEO Richard Gillman, the head of Republic Windows. The prosecutors said that Gillman and two other undisclosed executives secretly trucked 10 semitrailers full of window manufacturing equipment from the plant, moving three trailers of equipment to Red Oak, Iowa
. On January 1, 2009, Gillman took over a Red Oak window company that had been operating since 1985. But in February 2009 that company closed as well, laying off 120 employees.
Vinyl
A vinyl compound is any organic compound that contains a vinyl group ,which are derivatives of ethene, CH2=CH2, with one hydrogen atom replaced with some other group...
replacement window
Window
A window is a transparent or translucent opening in a wall or door that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material like float glass. Windows are held in place by frames, which...
s. The company was founded in 1965 by William Spielman. The company was declared bankrupt on December 2, 2008. The property was put under the control of its major creditors, Bank of America
Bank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
and JPMorgan Chase.
Precursor
Several months before the bankruptcy announcement, workers at the company's Goose IslandGoose Island (Chicago)
Goose Island is the only island on the Chicago River in Illinois. It is an artificial island, formed by the North Branch of the Chicago River on the west and the North Branch Canal on the east...
warehouse had noticed that key pieces of equipment were being removed. The leaders of United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America
The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America , is an independent democratic rank-and-file labor union representing workers in both the private and public sectors across the United States....
http://www.ueunion.org (UE) Local 1110, workers in the factory, contacted the national union, concerned that the plant was going to be closed. Despite company assurances that the missing machinery had merely been removed to make way for more modern equipment, the union began covertly monitoring the plant. One night, while monitoring the plant, UE Local 1110 President and Republic maintenance worker Armando Robles
Armando Robles
Armando Robles is a Mexican boxer in the Welterweight division and is the current Mexican National Light Welterweight Champion.-Pro career:...
and UE union organizer Mark Meinster plotted a strategy to occupy the factory in the event of a plant closing.
Announced bankruptcy
On December 3, 2008, the executives of the company announced to its workers that it would end operations on December 5 due to Bank of America, its main lender, canceling its line of credit due to a severe downturn in business at the plant.When the company's 260 employees learned that the plant was indeed closing permanently on December 2, 2008, they came to collect their paychecks. The company informed them that the employees would not be compensated for their accrued sick or vacation days and that their health insurance would be terminated on December 5.
The union lodged a complaint that the company was acting in violation of the WARN Act, a Federal law that requires companies to give workers 60 days' notice before mass layoffs. In total, the union claimed that the workers were owed $1.5 million in vacation and severance pay, as well as an extension in their medical benefits.
Echo Windows
Public records show that shortly before the closure of Republic Windows, the owners have purchased Echo Windows and Doors, a non-unionized window factory in Red Oak, IowaRed Oak, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,742 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,887 housing units, of which 2,406 were occupied....
. The union at Republic Windows has since filed charges against this action.
Sitdown strike
Beginning on the day of the closure, 200 of the 240 workers of the Goose IslandGoose Island
-Places in Australia:* Goose Island * Goose Island ** Little Goose Island ** Inner Little Goose Island* Goose Island , two islands-Places in Canada:*Goose Islands...
factory began an organized sitdown strike
Sitdown strike
A sit-down strike is a form of civil disobedience in which an organized group of workers, usually employed at a factory or other centralized location, take possession of the workplace by "sitting down" at their stations, effectively preventing their employers from replacing them with strikebreakers...
to protest alleged violation of federal labor law by Republic in that the company did not give the workers 60 days notice prior to the announcement of closure (this, however, was allegedly based upon the lack of lending from Bank of America).
The sit-in lasted until the workers reached a settlement with the factory over severance, vacation time, and temporary health care benefits; the settlement, which was reached on December 11 and amounted over $1.75 million, was negotiated by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America
United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America
The United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America , is an independent democratic rank-and-file labor union representing workers in both the private and public sectors across the United States....
(of whose Local 1110 branch the workers were members), Republic owners and Bank of America over three days.
On December 10, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase agreed to create a $1.75 million fund to pay the workers their back pay and benefits and to provide two months of health insurance coverage.
On December 15, 2008, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy
Chapter 7, Title 11, United States Code
Chapter 7 of the Title 11 of the United States Code governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States...
.
Change of ownership
In February 2009, Serious Materials, a Sunnyvale, CaliforniaSunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
-based company that produces environmentally friendly building materials, announced that it had purchased the buildings and assets of Republic Windows. The company announced that it intended to hire back all of the former factory workers. This deal would have to be approved by the Republic Windows creditors and the bankruptcy court.
Criminal charges
In September 2009, Cook CountyCook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
prosecutors charged that the sudden plant closing in December 2008 was part of a plot by CEO Richard Gillman, the head of Republic Windows. The prosecutors said that Gillman and two other undisclosed executives secretly trucked 10 semitrailers full of window manufacturing equipment from the plant, moving three trailers of equipment to Red Oak, Iowa
Red Oak, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 5,742 in the city, with a population density of . There were 2,887 housing units, of which 2,406 were occupied....
. On January 1, 2009, Gillman took over a Red Oak window company that had been operating since 1985. But in February 2009 that company closed as well, laying off 120 employees.
Book
Kari Lydersen's blog on the sit-in was expanded into a book titled Revolt on Goose Island. The book was released in June 2009.External links
- fairness at republic - a solidarity page from United Electrical union
- List of facilities of Serious Materials Inc.