by shirah crossposted with permission from unbossed

The one bright spot within the economic gloom that surrounds so many of us was the Republic Window and Door worker sit in. By sitting in they stood up for their rights. By sitting in they got our attention and sent a lesson of what is possible by engaging in concerted acts of mutual aid and support.

They showed a labor movement that has some real movement.


The story may have slipped from our attention, but here is a video that captures the events and the emotion involved.



That was the first step - getting the pay and money owed the workers under law.

But that was just the first step. These people need jobs, and they are working hard to create those jobs - doing what they used to do for Republic.

Here is the most recent news on the continuing struggle.

UE Local 1110 announced today that the leading company in the green window business -- Serious Materials, based in Sunnyvale, California -- is in the final stages of working out an agreement to purchase the assets of Republic Windows and Doors. Members of UE Local 1110 staged a sit-in last month to win severance, health benefits and earned vacation pay, after the plant's previous owner shut down with only three days' notice to workers.

Though some details still need to be finalized, the union is told that the parties are very close to inking a deal. "We are all hopeful about the possibility of Serious reopening our plant. This would be a very happy ending to our struggle," said former Republic worker and Local 1110 Vice President Melvin Maclin.

Serious Materials is a leading manufacturer of energy saving green building products. Their stated mission is to reduce greenhouse gases by one billion tons annually. "These are the green-collar jobs we need for the future of our community," said Armando Robles, former Republic maintenance worker and president of Local 1110. Serious Materials and the union believe there is market in the Midwest for the energy efficient, super-insulating windows and commercial glass that Serious makes.

Serious has said that it hopes, after a ramp-up period, to eventually hire all of the former Republic workforce. For that to happen, however, the bankruptcy court must act quickly. The local fears that if the court delays, the business will evaporate and it will be difficult to re-hire anyone. "We hope that the creditors, trustee and judge will allow Serious to purchase the assets soon, so I and my co-workers can start making windows again," said Robles.

That was January 14. They continue to need support. You can show solidarity by keeping this story alive and even by donating to the cause through the Windows of Opportunity fund.

And many showed their support as the workers toured the country.

Here is the story from the Detroit stop.

And as for you, isn't it time to stand up?

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So, I opened my e-mail and found this:

One Year Ago, We Made a MajorityOne year ago today, a majority of the U.S. Senate stood up for workers' rights by voting for the Employee Free Choice Act.

On June 26, 2007 51 Senators joined 241 members of the House in supporting this bill to restore the middle class. Unfortunately, a procedural move by a minority of anti-worker Senators meant that the chamber fell short of the 60 votes needed to send the bill to the President.

At the time, American Rights at Work Executive Director Mary Beth Maxwell noted:

Anti-worker interests and legislators are standing in the way of progress, but they won't prevail. It's no longer about if—it's about when we restore workers' freedom to form unions. Hard-working men and women deserve a free choice and a fair chance at forming a union. And a majority in Congress recognize that the Employee Free Choice is a vital part of restoring America's middle class.

As the Campaign for America's Future sums up the situation well today:

The federal government is blocking the freedom of working people to make their own decisions about joining a union. The current "election" system for union recognition is decidedly undemocratic. One side—the corporation—has all the power, controls the information workers receive, and routinely poisons the process by intimidating, harassing, coercing, and even firing people who try to organize unions.

We're going to continue to push to save the middle class in the next Congress. We hope to have the best shot yet at passing the Employee Free Choice Act next year by building on our existing majority in Congress, and we may even have a President who'll sign the bill. As CAF notes,

This is a good time to ask people running for office whether they stand with workers and their right to form unions or with the corporations and conservative enablers who would block this right.

Take the first step now. Declare your support for the Employee Free Choice Act by signing our petition.
--
Michael Whitney

Employee FREE CHOICE is important not only for current union members but it is even more vital for all of us working stiffs who have no hope of joining a union. I'm exempted myself now and boy, can I tell you that this week, I have so missed having the support of my former unions. Employee Free Choice won't help me, but it will help my mother, father and so many of my friends who are afraid to join unions or are afraid that they'll get screwed during the "secret" ballot elections and the run up to them. And this, is a pretty freaking bad problem in and of it self.

So, go forth and Organize. In the words of the imortal Joe Hill, Don't Mourn, ORGANIZE.

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I've been planning an E-activism event with a couple of other Labor bloggers for May 3rd in DC (more info to come this week). In my planning for this event, I also have been trolling the web for a few additional resources for E-activism related to labor organizing and came across this website from the the Labor Studies Center at Wayne State. In addition to this, CUNY (City University of New York) offers an internship for students to work in local unions in NYC, very cool. College students can even spend the summer learning how to be an organizer. Very cool programs.

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