As Long As It Takes
A group of laid off Chicago workers have taken matters into their own hands and in the progress become a national symbol for thousands of employees who have lost their jobs as the economy continues to sour.
Fried told the laid off employees are simply protecting the products of their labor. "There're hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of windows in this company which are ready to be delivered these workers worked to manufacture, they aren't getting paid," Fried said to Rodriguez. "All they are simply doing is placing a lien for their work and saying let respect the law.
"They worked real hard," she told. "We've workers here thirty-four years. They done this company the success that it is. And on the eve of Christmas, they should not simply be thrown out in a litter bin. And if the federal government can not intervene to protect these workers, then I think we are failing in our major obligation."
And how long they'll stay at the plant? "As long as it takes," Fried told. "They aren't giving up. They're incredibly strong and united."
Luis Gutierrezhas organized a meeting among representatives of the union, Republic and Bank of America for 5 pm Mondays afternoon. "We want to end the finger-pointing," he said The Early Show. "Whether it is the company or Bank of America, let open up the books. The company has agreed to come and sign a release, a waiver, so we could look at the books and see where the money is at.
"Look, you guys are reporting on what we did for the financial industry," he told. "700 billion dollars, another 15 billion dollars or 20 billion dollars for the automobile industry. Who is standing up for workers? We think the federal government has to make sure that the WARN Act, which tells that these workers are due sixty days of pay and health benefits, has to be enforced. Let make sure the federal government does it is job with these workers, not with just those on Wall Street.
"That isn't right to throw people out on the street with nothing," she told.
These workers deserve their wages, deserve fair notice, deserve health security," Jackson told. "This might be the beginning of long struggle of worker resistance, finally."
President-elect B.Obama, weighing in on behalf of the workers, said a news conference Saturday that Republic Windows and Doors should follow through on its commitments to the employees.
"The workers who are asking for the benefits and payments that they have earned, I think they are absolutely right and understand that what is happening to them is reflective of what's happening across this economy," Obama told.
One of the factory's workers, Silvia Mazon, said in Spanish that she needs the money owed to her for an 1,800 dollars monthly house payment. The 40-year-old from Cicero said she has enough money saved to survive for one month.
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