On the north side of Chicago, something unusual is taking place right now. On Friday the 250 workers at the Republic Windows & Doors factory were given three days notice that the factory was closing and their jobs would be lost. Since then, groups of workers have occupied the inside of the factory, and stayed put.
What's different this time is that their protests are being listened to by government, and their demands for payment of lost benefits and redundancy are being taken seriously. After eight years of labour being exiled to the wilderness in favour of corporate hand-outs, it is a rather stunning to watch what's now unfolding in response: President-elect Barack Obama has publicly come out in unequivocal support of the workers: "When it comes to the situation here in Chicago with the workers who are asking for their benefits and payments they have earned, I think they are absolutely right."
Republic company officials bailed out of a negotiation session to be brokered by US congressman Luis Gutierrez - a top contender for the Illinois' senate seat being vacated by Obama - and the company's bank, Bank of America, which halted credit to the company and has been fingered as the culprit for the factory closing, but which "maintains it isn't responsible for Republic's financial obligations."
Illinois attorney-general Lisa Madigan - another contender for the aforementioned Senate seat – said her office will be investigating Republic to see if the company has violated US labour laws.
And, this morning, Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich suspended "hundreds of millions of dollars" of state of Illinois business with Bank of America "until the company restores credit to the shuttered Republic Windows & Doors company on the North Side."
Suffice it to say, the protesting workers have some friends in high places.
One Democratic US representative from Illinois, Jan Schakowsky, categorised the sit-in as part of a re-emergent labour movement, saying: "This story has resonated around the world". Everyone from Obama to local commentators have cast the protesters as a symbol of the American worker in an increasingly volatile economy and resultingly hostile and unpredictable workplace. Meanwhile, Bank of America – which has itself been bailed out by the Feds to the tune of $25bn so far – has become the face of what's wrong with the bail-out.
Says the blogger Angry Black Bitch accurately, if bluntly:
Between the lack of home-owner considerations in the first bailout plan to the general disregard towards worker protections in the current proposals, there is a serious disconnect between the proposals to stimulate the economy and the creation of plans that actually reach workers who are the engine that will actually stimulate the economy. … This reality, the worker's reality, is what we need to consider as our government tosses billions at companies without so much as a "go fuck yourself!" to address the workers at those companies who will be left out in the cold when the money machine goes off line.
As they have been ever since November 4, all eyes look to Chicago, straining to get a glimpse of what our future will look like.