Comments on: Victory at Republic!

By: Jeremy Wells

Jeremy Wells — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 03:26:50 +0000

For a socialist perspective on rhis story:
Lessons of the Chicago factory occupation
12 December 2008 by Joe Kishore
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/dec2008/pers-d12.shtml
“While from the standpoint of the workers’ immediate demands it was a victory, it was a bittersweet one. The workers at Republic will still lose their jobs under conditions where no decent jobs are to be found. In two months they will have no health care. The American and world economy is entering the worst economic slump since the Great Depression, and the workers at Republic will join millions across the country who will face this crisis with no job security and no safety net.”

By: Al

Al — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:35:51 +0000

All this BS for a shitty 2 million dollars?
$2m is loose change for BoA!

By: Deadbeat

Deadbeat — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 04:07:41 +0000

Bozh writes…

in add’n,my wife had been diagnosed in jul ‘o1 w. the alzheimer’s and i have to be w. her almost all the time.

Comrade, you have my utmost respect. Thank you for your thoughts and perspectives.

By: Hue Longer

Hue Longer — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:45:53 +0000

Wheres’ that damn delete, Sunil? lol I guess I’ll now have to research where they are going or why they couldn’t stay in business to begin with. Maybe the workers could take over the plant and run it themselves?

By: Hue Longer

Hue Longer — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:42:41 +0000

oops, sorry folks

Republic Windows and Doors…I am under a rock and get my news later than folks in the States

By: Hue Longer

Hue Longer — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 03:38:51 +0000

Someone help me out here…

The car company is a soon to be recipient of a large bail-out to further help them invest in overseas plants- which have undermined union workers in the States for years.

They give everyone their walking papers and add a little salt to the wound by illegally cutting out vacation and severance

The Union rallies against the salt and the press uncharacteristically helps them

Bof A comes to the “rescue” and cleans the salt from the wound

EVERYONE FUCKING CELEBRATES???

I wonder if there were some bolder suggestions from the think tank that came up with this great idea…like illegally (heheh) tying the workers up to the machines and making them work for free. Overcoming that would look like an even bigger victory to the duped who just lost their livelihoods, no?

By: bozh

bozh — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:24:06 +0000

deadbeat
i’m a canadian. 78 yrs old. an uknown. i belong to to a socialist party, the NDP. nat’l democratic party.
it wld take just a few hundred people to get a socialist party going. surely, u guys can get a hundred unknowns to set up a party.
in add’n,my wife had been diagnosed in jul ‘o1 w. the alzheimer’s and i have to be w. her almost all the time.
i even had to stop going to StopWar.ca meetings. but thnx for ur interest.
i was not born in canada; thus i have an accent which is a -.
and often i can’t hear people even at meetings.
so i wld be disaster as an organizer.

By: Darren Hutchinson

Darren Hutchinson — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:49:54 +0000

http://dissentingjustice.blogspot.com/2008/12/made-in-iowa-did-company-in-chicago-sit.html

http://dissentingjustice.blogspot.com/2008/12/republic-windows-and-doors-received.html

This is not a victory — at least not one that I admire. Due to progressive advocacy, the real culprit here — Republic Windows and Doors — has quietly relocated to Iowa, bought and merged with a similar company, and illegally dumped its employees. But due to the “victorious” advocacy of the Left, the company accomplished all of this without facing any serious public scrutiny or even legal liability.

Also, while the workers get 2-months pay and benefits, after the dust clears, they will remain unemployed, have limited job prospects, and will probably lack health insurance. Rather than bashing Bank of America, the Left needed to use this opportunity to discuss expanding this country’s economic safety net. But I guess that would require too much in terms of creative and unconventional thinking.

PS: The owners of the company bought a CONDOMINIUM in Chicago last year for $2.6 million. The price of their luxury apartment exceeds two months wages and benefits for the company’s 200 employees. But the Left gave these people a big fat pass. Shameful.

By: Ramsefall

Ramsefall — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:31:55 +0000

Trade workers around the country would highly benefit from two things to gain more powerful and effective social momentum from this victory: 1) recognize the value of organized solidarity and governed principles that people when brought together for a common cause CAN accomplish an agenda and overturn that which may otherwise be perceived as impossible — David and Goliath through non-violent protest, and 2) pick up a copy of Dr. Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States which describes in meticulous detail dozens of victories similar to this, an inspirational read that demonstrates through historical accounts just how to combat the system and win.

Best to all.

By: Gary Lapon

Gary Lapon — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 19:11:10 +0000

Deadbeat is right. This victory is incredibly important, and it can’t be looked at apart from the context. The labor movement in the US is at a historic low in terms of numbers and influence after decades of failed top-down conservative strategies that seek to find common interest with employers (there isn’t any).

In this context, the Republic sit-in, which was a bottom-up struggle initiated by the rank-and-file, is a leap forward and this victory has the potential to point a way forward for countless other workers who will face attacks (and are already) during this economic crisis.

And yes, we do need a party that represents the interests of the working class, but for that party to be truly democratic and representative (read: effective), it will need to be built on a firm foundation. In other words, it must be built from the bottom-up out of struggles lead by the rank-and-file. The Republic sit-in has been a heroic and necessary step along that path.

By: Deadbeat

Deadbeat — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:59:37 +0000

bozh writes…

what workers need, is a party that also has some of the econo-politico-military power.

You got to start somewhere and right now as you point out workers are very unorganized. However by starting with workers specific interest it can then be broaden into a larger focus.

I agree that a party is needed but at this time there is no labor party in the U.S. so if you have any ideas on how to get thinks kick started I’m all ears.

By: bozh

bozh — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:35:20 +0000

how r union members and other workers to obtain power to change structure of governance, if as many as 80% r right wing. or is it even 90%+ of them for keeping the same structure that render workers as dependents of work owners?
haven’t 98% of the workers just voted for oneparty system?
let’s forget ab workers! left to themselves, they’d rather just fight for own specific interests.
and not very well. because they r so damn weak econo-politico-militarily.
and these three aspects r parts of a whole and in toto controled by uncle.
what workers need, is a party that also has some of the econo-politico-military power.
such a party cld inject own people in city police, fbi, cia, army. thnx
that’s where the power is. please, get some of it.
it’s as american as the apple pie.
such party wld educate people and not make idiots out of them.
chavez and other leftists have done it in venezuela. thnx

By: Deadbeat

Deadbeat — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 17:31:05 +0000

Could this be the start of something big? Here ordinary people struggling on an “everyday” issue found solidarity and was able to win. It is this kind of activity that needs to be organized into a “movement” for real change. Kudos to everyone who stood up and was counted in on this struggle.