Tacoma Community College Socialist Alternative Club, and Evergreen Socialist Alternative have launched a campaign to stop budget cuts to WA state higher education and social services budgets. With a projected budget deficit of $5.1 billion, the desperately needed colleges that require state subsidy could have budgets cut by 20% or higher. In this time of recession, education is absolutely necessary to retrain workers to build a new economy, barriers such as the suggested caps to enrollment must not be allowed!
Please visit our sister blogs:
http://stopthecutswashington.blogspot.com/
http://www.evergreencommitteeforfullfunding.blogspot.com/
Monday, December 15, 2008
Victory for Chicago window factory workers!
UE workers in Chicago have won their demands, but are still now jobless. Can we use their tactics to win other demands? This article and more can be found at www.socialistalternative.org
email: tacomasocialists@gmail.com
Chicago Factory Occupation Leads to Victory
Dec 13, 2008
Bryan Koulouris
By occupying their plant, and refusing to budge, workers at the Republic Windows & Doors factory in Chicago have provided an inspirational example to workers around the country of how workers can fight and win their demands.
The workers were shocked when they heard that their factory was being closed down. They were outraged when the bosses told them that they'd only have three more days of work. The reason? Bank of America was cutting off its loans to the window company. This is the same Bank of America that has been handed billions of dollars in government bailouts.
The workers didn't take it laying down; they fought back. This can be a lesson for us all. The workers, represented by the United Electrical Workers (UE), reclaimed a strategy that helped to build the labor movement in this country: they occupied the factory. They demanded a good severance package, and they won. This shows the potential power of working people when we're organized and when we take action.
A workplace occupation poses the question: who's in charge here? Management has no power to give orders when workers run the show. In fact, it may have been possible to demand even more than the workers won due to the potential success of this militant tactic. The general population of Chicago and the country expressed a deep sense of sympathy for the workers. In future struggles, this sympathy can be turned into widespread solidarity demonstrations and support networks.
When layoffs and cuts are proposed by corporations and their political servants, working people need to look to the brave example of the Chicago window workers who occupied their workplace and refused to be chased out.
This occupation has sparked discussions among workers across the country on how they too can fight back against cuts. It is essential that union leaders follow the brave example of these Chicago workers. The union leaders need to demand better unemployment benefits and jobs for all in order to organize the unemployed. Instead of funneling trillions of dollars in loans to banks, the unions need to demand a massive public works program to ensure every worker has a job
To stop layoffs due to factory closures and bankruptcy, it will require that we raise the demand of public ownership under workers' democratic control and management in order to save jobs. If companies say that they can't afford to keep paying for good jobs, then we need to get them to open their financial records to the workers' movement. If they're telling the truth, then we need to take over the workplaces ourselves.
email: tacomasocialists@gmail.com
Chicago Factory Occupation Leads to Victory
Dec 13, 2008
Bryan Koulouris
By occupying their plant, and refusing to budge, workers at the Republic Windows & Doors factory in Chicago have provided an inspirational example to workers around the country of how workers can fight and win their demands.
The workers were shocked when they heard that their factory was being closed down. They were outraged when the bosses told them that they'd only have three more days of work. The reason? Bank of America was cutting off its loans to the window company. This is the same Bank of America that has been handed billions of dollars in government bailouts.
The workers didn't take it laying down; they fought back. This can be a lesson for us all. The workers, represented by the United Electrical Workers (UE), reclaimed a strategy that helped to build the labor movement in this country: they occupied the factory. They demanded a good severance package, and they won. This shows the potential power of working people when we're organized and when we take action.
A workplace occupation poses the question: who's in charge here? Management has no power to give orders when workers run the show. In fact, it may have been possible to demand even more than the workers won due to the potential success of this militant tactic. The general population of Chicago and the country expressed a deep sense of sympathy for the workers. In future struggles, this sympathy can be turned into widespread solidarity demonstrations and support networks.
When layoffs and cuts are proposed by corporations and their political servants, working people need to look to the brave example of the Chicago window workers who occupied their workplace and refused to be chased out.
This occupation has sparked discussions among workers across the country on how they too can fight back against cuts. It is essential that union leaders follow the brave example of these Chicago workers. The union leaders need to demand better unemployment benefits and jobs for all in order to organize the unemployed. Instead of funneling trillions of dollars in loans to banks, the unions need to demand a massive public works program to ensure every worker has a job
To stop layoffs due to factory closures and bankruptcy, it will require that we raise the demand of public ownership under workers' democratic control and management in order to save jobs. If companies say that they can't afford to keep paying for good jobs, then we need to get them to open their financial records to the workers' movement. If they're telling the truth, then we need to take over the workplaces ourselves.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Chicago Workers Occupy Factory - A militant example of the way forward for the labor movement.
Dec. 7, 2008
By Will Soto
On the afternoon of Friday, December 5, the roughly 260 workers at Chicago’s Republic Window and Door factory were told that the factory was closing down and that they would be laid off. These workers make up Local 1110 of the United Electrical Workers (UE). They are owed roughly $1.5 million of vacation and severance pay. There are even rumors that some of their most recent paychecks bounced. Merry Christmas indeed.
It doesn’t seem like the company has totally gone belly up. Instead workers think that the company is trying to move production to another state where they can pay lower wages.
They were thinking that they could just shuffle everyone out the door, disregard the laws about giving workers appropriate notice, forget about paying severance and vacation, and close up shop. The workers had a different plan - they took the place over.
Starting on the afternoon of Friday the 5th they began their sit-in. The police came but they left after figuring out the situation and did not try to forcibly remove the workers. The workers are very well organized and the occupation looks disciplined and coordinated. They are occupying the factory around the clock in three shifts. Some workers are sitting in with their families.
Any visitors to the factory floor are escorted and the workers are keeping a close watch on everything. The company has already packed up and moved some of the machinery, but the workers know where it is located and they are checking on it every few hours. Many Chicagoans are helping out with donations of money, food and sleeping bags. They had a rally of several hundred outside the building on Saturday, December 6.
This factory occupation is a welcome break from the trend of factory closures and layoffs that have gone down without much of a fight. It remains to be seen how much the workers will gain as a result of this. The company claims that it can’t afford to pay the workers because Bank of America won’t extend them the credit. Bank of America says that the company’s debts are not its problem. Democrat Congressman Luis Gutierrez is scheduled to meet with the bank and the company on Monday to try and iron out the problems. Workers are justified in their anger against management and the bank. This same Bank of America is among the financial giants who have lined up to receive billions of dollars of federal bailout money. Workers are asking where is our bailout?
There is no question that these workers’ brave step is a big deal. They deserve the support of all working people and the entire labor movement. Socialist Alternative salutes these workers and supports this occupation. This country has not seen many factory occupations in the last half-century. It was just over 70 years ago in Michigan that the United Auto Workers fought and won the Flint sit down strike of 1936-37. After forty days of bitter struggle they beat the company and inspired a nationwide wave of factory occupations. Certainly many leaders of this factory occupation know this history and they are steeled for the possibility for a long sit-in.
It is important to note the unique history of the independent UE, the union that these workers belong to. This union comes out of the CIO and the radical traditions of industrial unionism of the 1930s. Unlike some of the most corrupt union leaderships, its officials do not get exorbitant salaries. During the 1990s they supported the creation of an independent labor party. The union’s motto is “the members run this union.” The workers democratically voted to occupy this factory.
The UE and the Chicago Federation of Labor needs to publicly build support for this strike from workers and other unions around Chicago. This heroic action by these workers could be used to revitalize the labor movement in the city, and establish a new tradition of militancy among the working class.
This struggle will be an inspiration to other workers on the need to fightback against cuts and layoffs. The labor movement needs to fight each and every layoff and cutback, explaining that if bailouts and public ownership can be used to protect rich investors, then these same policies need to be used to defend workers.
These workers are united and determined to win all that they can. Victory is hardly guaranteed, but sit-ins and factory occupations are proven tactics used around the world by workers who often have no other recourse against layoffs and closures. Perhaps most importantly, factory occupations are important assertions of workers’ rights to own and run their workplaces. As one of the workers joked on Saturday, “we’ve got a lot, we’ve got this whole building.”
How to support the Republic workers
Contributions are both welcome and needed:
through PayPal: use the "Donate" button on the UE home page
by Mail: UE Local 1110 Solidarity Fund, UE Western Region, 37 S. Ashland, Chicago, IL 60607
Send a message to Bank of America demanding they meet the workers demands
For more information, call UE at 312-829-8300.
Dec. 7, 2008
By Will Soto
On the afternoon of Friday, December 5, the roughly 260 workers at Chicago’s Republic Window and Door factory were told that the factory was closing down and that they would be laid off. These workers make up Local 1110 of the United Electrical Workers (UE). They are owed roughly $1.5 million of vacation and severance pay. There are even rumors that some of their most recent paychecks bounced. Merry Christmas indeed.
It doesn’t seem like the company has totally gone belly up. Instead workers think that the company is trying to move production to another state where they can pay lower wages.
They were thinking that they could just shuffle everyone out the door, disregard the laws about giving workers appropriate notice, forget about paying severance and vacation, and close up shop. The workers had a different plan - they took the place over.
Starting on the afternoon of Friday the 5th they began their sit-in. The police came but they left after figuring out the situation and did not try to forcibly remove the workers. The workers are very well organized and the occupation looks disciplined and coordinated. They are occupying the factory around the clock in three shifts. Some workers are sitting in with their families.
Any visitors to the factory floor are escorted and the workers are keeping a close watch on everything. The company has already packed up and moved some of the machinery, but the workers know where it is located and they are checking on it every few hours. Many Chicagoans are helping out with donations of money, food and sleeping bags. They had a rally of several hundred outside the building on Saturday, December 6.
This factory occupation is a welcome break from the trend of factory closures and layoffs that have gone down without much of a fight. It remains to be seen how much the workers will gain as a result of this. The company claims that it can’t afford to pay the workers because Bank of America won’t extend them the credit. Bank of America says that the company’s debts are not its problem. Democrat Congressman Luis Gutierrez is scheduled to meet with the bank and the company on Monday to try and iron out the problems. Workers are justified in their anger against management and the bank. This same Bank of America is among the financial giants who have lined up to receive billions of dollars of federal bailout money. Workers are asking where is our bailout?
There is no question that these workers’ brave step is a big deal. They deserve the support of all working people and the entire labor movement. Socialist Alternative salutes these workers and supports this occupation. This country has not seen many factory occupations in the last half-century. It was just over 70 years ago in Michigan that the United Auto Workers fought and won the Flint sit down strike of 1936-37. After forty days of bitter struggle they beat the company and inspired a nationwide wave of factory occupations. Certainly many leaders of this factory occupation know this history and they are steeled for the possibility for a long sit-in.
It is important to note the unique history of the independent UE, the union that these workers belong to. This union comes out of the CIO and the radical traditions of industrial unionism of the 1930s. Unlike some of the most corrupt union leaderships, its officials do not get exorbitant salaries. During the 1990s they supported the creation of an independent labor party. The union’s motto is “the members run this union.” The workers democratically voted to occupy this factory.
The UE and the Chicago Federation of Labor needs to publicly build support for this strike from workers and other unions around Chicago. This heroic action by these workers could be used to revitalize the labor movement in the city, and establish a new tradition of militancy among the working class.
This struggle will be an inspiration to other workers on the need to fightback against cuts and layoffs. The labor movement needs to fight each and every layoff and cutback, explaining that if bailouts and public ownership can be used to protect rich investors, then these same policies need to be used to defend workers.
These workers are united and determined to win all that they can. Victory is hardly guaranteed, but sit-ins and factory occupations are proven tactics used around the world by workers who often have no other recourse against layoffs and closures. Perhaps most importantly, factory occupations are important assertions of workers’ rights to own and run their workplaces. As one of the workers joked on Saturday, “we’ve got a lot, we’ve got this whole building.”
How to support the Republic workers
Contributions are both welcome and needed:
through PayPal: use the "Donate" button on the UE home page
by Mail: UE Local 1110 Solidarity Fund, UE Western Region, 37 S. Ashland, Chicago, IL 60607
Send a message to Bank of America demanding they meet the workers demands
For more information, call UE at 312-829-8300.
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