Revolt on Goose Island: The Chicago Factory Takeover and What It Says About the Economic Crisis

143 Pages·2009·1.61 MB·English

by  Kari Lydersen

PRAISE FOR REVOLT ON GOOSE ISLAND
“Revolt … manages to tell the story of the six-day occupation, its
historical precedents, and what it could mean for the future of the labor
movement in full. For a book turned around in such a short time, it digs
ably into the nuances of the closure, including the questions regarding
the blame.”
—Jonathan Messinger, TimeOut Chicago
“Brisk, compelling … Deftly interweaves her narrative with sketches of
union and labor history.”
—Kate Schmidt, Chicago Reader
“A clear and emotionally compelling account of the Chicago factory
takeover that captivated national attention … A gripping narrative.”
—NewCity
“There is much talk about ‘audacity’ these days, but true chutzpah is
when the workers take over the factory and take on the bank. Kari
Lydersen’s invaluable account of the Republic sit-down strike is an
instruction manual for worker dignity.”
—Mike Davis, author of Buda’s Wagon and City of Quartz
“A riveting tale from beginning to end.”
—Bookslut
“I’ve feared for some time that labor reporting would vanish. But this
book restores my faith that there remain reporters with an eye and a
heart and a thirst to tell important stories about workers in the best
tradition of good labor writing.”
—Stephen Franklin, former labor writer, Chicago Tribune
“Lydersen demonstrates that journalism still has the power to sway both
hearts and minds.”
—Brian Awehali, LiP Magazine
“Provides useful context and is a helpful tool to put the strike in a
broader understanding of the current moment … Revolt on Goose Island
is a highly useful primer on what some say could be the spark to revive a
moribund labor movement that has been on its heels for nearly three
decades.”
—Jeff Kelly Lowenstein, lecturer, Columbia College

REVOLT ON GOOSE ISLAND
REVISED EDITION
© Kari Lydersen, 2009, 2014
First Melville House Edition: June 2009
Melville House Publishing
145 Plymouth Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
and
8 Blackstock Mews
Islington
London N4 2BT
mhpbooks.com facebook.com/mhpbooks @melvillehouse
Book Design: Kelly Blair
ISBN: 978-1-61219395-3 (ebook) The Library of Congress has cataloged the paperback edition of
this book as follows: Lydersen, Kari.
Revolt on Goose Island / Kari Lydersen.
p. cm.
ISBN 978-1-933633-82-4
1. Sit-down strikes—Illinois—Chicago. I. Title.
HD5474.L94 2009
331.892’8901820977311—dc22
2009016787
v3.1
Dedicated to Franklin Rosemont (1943–2009)
Author, poet, publisher, activist, surrealist and idealist who chronicled the
labor movement with creativity and joy.
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Preface
1. The Stakeout
2. A Labor Battle in a Labor City
3. Shutting the Door on Republic
4. The Revolt
5. A Window of Opportunity
6. Getting Serious
7. On the Road to Resistance and Recovery
Epilogue
A Note on Sources
Acknowledgments
Notes
UE union Local 1110 President Armando Robles addresses the media about negotiations with
Bank of America and Republic Windows & Doors on the fourth day of the sit-in at the factory. (AP
Photo/M. Spencer Green)
PREFACE
In early December 2008, headlines around the world focused on the
workers of the Republic Windows & Doors factory in Chicago, Illinois.
There, 250 workers had been laid off after the abrupt shutdown of their
factory. The closing wasn’t unusual—it came in the midst of the largest
economic collapse since the Great Depression, at a moment when every
day brought news of more job losses. Just days before the closing, the
U.S. Labor Department announced more than a half million job cuts.
But the company’s workers did something unusual.
Represented by the UE labor union, they occupied the factory, located
on Goose Island in the Chicago River, and refused to leave until they
were paid for accrued vacation time and 60 days of federally mandated
severance.
Congressmen, local politicians and President-Elect Barack Obama
spoke out in support of the workers. Soon-to-be-impeached Governor
Rod Blagojevich even made his last public appearance at the factory
before being arrested on massive corruption charges.
Republic owner Richard Gillman blamed Bank of America for the
closing, saying the bank had cut off credit to the company. The truth
proved to be more complicated, but blaming the bank struck a chord
with Americans fed up with corporate greed and skeptical of the $700
billion federal bank bailout, which members of Congress and the sitting
administration had promised would unfreeze the credit markets. Bank of
America had received $25 billion in bailout funds two months before
Republic closed; it would receive another $20 billion soon after. “You
got bailed out, we got sold out!” became a rallying cry for people around
the country protesting in support of the Republic workers and against
the bank.
The workers’ story captured the imagination and empathy of a nation
caught in an escalating economic crisis. People who had felt secure in
their jobs and firmly ensconced in the middle class were suddenly