On the chilly factory floor of the Republic Windows and Doors plant, Apolinar Cabrera and a couple hundred workers have decided to make their stand.
Their jobs evaporated Friday when this Chicago company unexpectedly closed its doors, blaming lender Bank of America for cutting off its credit line and preventing it from paying the workers' severance and vacation.
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Wednesday, December 10, 2008 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 2 National Desk 1 inches; 41 words Type of Material: Correction
Worker sit-in: A photo caption in Tuesday's Section A with an article about a worker sit-in at the Republic Windows and Doors plant in Chicago misidentified Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich. He is at the center of the photo shown above
Cabrera and his co-workers have refused to leave.
"We need only what is promised to us, nothing more, nothing less," said Cabrera, a 17-year veteran of the plant who hasn't been home to see his pregnant wife and two children in four days. "I know the economy is bad . . . but this just isn't right to do this to us."
Here, in this corner of the recession, the standoff between the workers and Bank of America has quickly evolved into a symbol of the divide between the financial rescue plans for Wall Street and Main Street.
While the government pumps billions of dollars into the banking system, on this corner of Main Street, so far, there is no reprieve.
"I don't understand how we could take the hard votes, give billions of dollars in the bailout and still see something like this happen," Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, said at a news conference Monday.
The state of Illinois on Monday cut off all business with Bank of America until the matter is resolved. After learning of the workers' plight, President-elect Barack Obama has come out in support of their claims. The Rev. Jesse Jackson, Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and others have dropped by to show their support. Illinois Atty. Gen. Lisa Madigan has launched an investigation into the company's closure.
While a resolution may eventually come, Durbin was certain of one thing: As the economy spirals to the worst crisis since the Great Depression, the worker sit-in at Republic Windows and Doors will probably be the first of many.
Talks Monday between workers and the bank were adjourned last night with no resolution. The meeting is scheduled to resume today.
"This story has resonated around the world," Rep. Jan Schakowsky, an Illinois Democrat, told the Associated Press.
Until last Tuesday, workers said they had no idea the company was close to ruin.
"We were cutting out glass for an order for 1,000 new windows last week," said Vicente Rangel, 34, who been with the firm for 15 years. "There was work to do. Then, the bosses called us to a meeting and said everyone was quitting, whether they wanted to or not."
