| Author | Message | ||
     Oldog |
From AP piece on road runner Workers who got three days' notice that their factory was shutting its doors have occupied the building and say they won't go home without assurances they'll get severance and vacation pay. About 250 union workers occupied the Republic Windows and Doors plant in shifts Saturday while union leaders outside criticized a Wall Street bailout they say is leaving laborers behind. Leah Fried, an organizer with the United Electrical Workers, said the Chicago-based vinyl window manufacturer failed to give 60 days' notice required by law before shutting down. During the two-day peaceful takeover, workers have been shoveling snow and cleaning the building, Fried said. "We're doing something we haven't done since the 1930s, so we're trying to make it work," she said, referring to a tactic most famously used in 1936-37 by General Motors factory workers in Flint, Mich., to help unionize the U.S. auto industry. Fried said the company can't pay its 300 employees because its creditor, Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America, won't let them. Crain's Chicago Business reported that Republic Windows' monthly sales had fallen to $2.9 million from $4 million during the past month. In a memo to the union, obtained by the business journal, Republic CEO Rich Gillman said the company had "no choice but to shut our doors." Bank of America received $25 billion from the government's financial bailout package. The company said in a statement Saturday that it isn't responsible for Republic's financial obligations to its employees. } If I read this right the bank is refusing credit to Republic, which appears to be about 30% down on business, This reminds me of a parable, Where a King who was owed a great deal of money he called in his debits, One debitor owed millions of dollars, the king asked for payment when the man said he could not, the King was going to throw him in prision and sell his family, The man begged for mercy and was granted an extension. The forgiven man went out to some one who owed him a thousand dollars and demanded on the spot payment, When asked for mercy by his debitor he refused and imprisioned him, The King learned of the mans non-forgiveness of his debetor, called the man back in and threw him into prision, for his failure to be leinent I don't know the whole story but if the CO was making 2.9 Mil per month and meeting expenses then why the problem? Bad reporting or underhanded buisness tactics, most interesting to me in the new prez's back yard. | ||
| Just_ziptab |
Swell...........  | ||
| Froggy |
Well if sales are 2.9 Million, the unknown number is profit. If its $5 million to pay the bills and employees, well you end up with a mess like this. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
wait, state law requires you to be notified 60 days in advance? sumnabiatch, I dont think I have EVER gotten sixty days notice for anything. | ||
| Oldog |
wait, state law requires you to be notified 60 days in advance? sumnabiatch, I dont think I have EVER gotten sixty days notice for anything. My thinking too | ||
| Midknyte |
I didn't even get 6 minutes warning at my last job... | ||
| Oldog |
the unknown number is profit. If its $5 million to pay the bills and employees, well you end up with a mess like this. Agreed, Assuming 15.00 hr and 250 employees payroll is 150,000$ a week. not counting benes and other overhead. } | ||
| Rocketsprink |
Bad reporting or underhanded buisness tactics, most interesting to me in the new prez's back yard. What the hell is Obama supposed to do? HE"S NOT IN OFFICE YET. This is the GREED that I have been posting about on all these threads. The government gives the wealthy a ton of cash, and what do they do? HANG ON TO IT! This is a good example as to why the Republican party's Trickle Down theory is a total load of shit. It doesn't trickle down if you hang on to it!! And yes. It is a law. 60 days notice for a total shut down, not individual layoffs or outright firings. (Message edited by rocketsprink on December 07, 2008) | ||
| Brinnutz |
I read the Obama's backyard thing as he is a Senator for Illinois, not as president elect. | ||
| Rocketsprink |
He's no longer the Senator either. | ||
| Garyz28 |
They have a similar law here in California. The problem is that in order for it to work the owners have to give up hope of recovery while there is still enough money to pay every one. | ||
| Oldog |
Fried said the company can't pay its 300 employees because its creditor, Charlotte, N.C.-based Bank of America, won't let them. Is it right to ask the bank to explain, if the Biz owner says ok, BofA was bailed out IIRC Rocketsprink, Big government does not work either, sadly some of the dems may have forgotten the Soviet experiment where the government ownes every thing ( share the wealth ) it collapsed ... When the government upps the taxes paid by your employer to cover the entitlements No matter how hard you work at some point your service will not be price competitive, or will be too costly and other means will be needed for say fire protection, or the buildings will not be built. The answer is to in part as you say work productivly, also to have a product that is saleable, at a competitive price. We have the highest standard of living in recorded history, I agree with you in part that We are seeing the results of some GREED but I believe that other market forces are at work too. I would like to know why the employees can't be paid | ||
| Rocketsprink |
I was under the impression that the huge government bailout was to head stuff like this off. So my tax dollars are given to banks to hang on to? What are they doing with all that money then? I really wish people would stop blaming labor for the mistakes and misdeeds done by business owners, CEO's, and upper management. Do you consider these people to be beyond reproach? It always seems that when unions are involved, it's their fault. Never management. If were only so cut and dry. Just ask the construction companies working on the Trump Towers in Chicago. When doing extra work as per instructed, then going to collect, the General Contractor and good old Don refuse to pay. That effects the bottom line of the subcontractor. Doesn't seem to be labors fault there. Stuff like that never seems to get to the public though. | ||
| Oldog |
When doing extra work as per instructed, then going to collect, the General Contractor and good old Don refuse to pay. That effects the bottom line of the subcontractor. Doesn't seem to be labors fault there. Stuff like that never seems to get to the public though. I hear you I have been reading spec sheets for a large job for a process automation system, in the document it says explicitly that specific hard ware and methodologies are to be used and ANY changes not approved by the customer in writing shall be removed and replaced at the contractors expense. We never do any thing with out written change orders signed by responcible parties both sides. so that the Don's can be taken to court if needed to secure the pay, the co poloicy is also if you cause an issue like this on a job with us, extra measures are taken including declining to work with you again. Trump strikes me as dishonest. No it does not seem that way, against that our initial post may have been some ones attempt to rectify that. } | ||
| Chellem |
How do companies know 60 days in advance that they WILL close? In this economy, that seems like a luxury that a lot of business plans just don't have. No one wants to admit defeat until the last card is dealt - no one wants to give up their business. What are the employees supposed to do for their pay for the last 60 days when a shutdown is imminent? If the company just plain doesn't have the money, then they're breaking the law? Seems like another well-intentioned but completely unrealistic law. ->ChelleM | ||
| Just_ziptab |
I worked for an outfit for a couple of years. The work was hard and fun, but the pay was crap. In the end, I got stiffed for $1,500.oo in well earned wages. Always an excuse. That wasn't no fun at all....... | ||
| Skinstains |
I'm sick and effing tired of these "bail-outs" If I don't manage my money well, no-one gives me $hit !!! FTG !!! | ||
| Hootowl |
It isn't right for the government to force a bank to issue yet another bad loan. That's what got us into this mess in the first place. These workers are OWED their wages for time already spent, as well as their paid vacation that they've already earned. They're not looking for a hand out, they want what they've already earned. If the company is going tits up and can't pay, they need to sell their assets and pay what they owe. The owner of the business shouldn't be allowed to walk off with all the money and get out of paying what he/she owes. |
