Dec 7, 2008 4:11 pm US/Central
Obama, Jackson React To Day 3 Of Worker Sit-In
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
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The Rev. Jesse Jackson was among the dignitaries who met Sunday Dec. 7, 2008 with laid-off workers of Republic Windows and Doors.
CBS
Lawmakers and civil rights leaders are trying to help save hundreds of jobs at Republic Windows and Doors, which closed late last week.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and U.S. Rep. Jan Schakowsky met Sunday with union workers as they were in the third day of a sit-in protest. CBS 2's Pamela Jones was there.
Jackson, the civil rights icon and head of Rainbow-PUSH Coalition, approached Republic Windows and Doors amid signs and supporters, hugs and handshakes. He pledged his support for more than 200 workers who say they'll stay at the factory all weekend to protest losing their jobs and benefits.
"These workers must be congratulated for having the courage in the great tradition of Dr. King ... and in the tradition of Cesar Chavez, in the tradition of Rosa Parks," Jackson said. "Your sitting down, in many ways, allows America to stand up. Workers all around the nation who are now facing massive layoffs. It's your job, it's your plant. Stay there and fight for it until justice comes and justice will come."
He brought more than words. The Rainbow-PUSH Coalition donated some 300 turkeys, and bags of food passed hand to hand. It's the only assembly line running here since the plant shut down Friday, reportedly because Bank of America – which received billions in the government bailout of financial institutions -- would no longer extend the company's line of credit.
It's a situation Jackson calls unacceptable.
"The money went to the banks to lend," he said. "Rather than lend, they acquired more banks and drove smaller banks out of business. In the meantime, even President Bush had to say we got the deal through for you to lend, but they would not lend. So if banks would not lend, they are holding capital and making money off of government investment."
This afternoon, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky visited the plant to give her breakdown of the company's obligations to workers, including severance pay and health care benefits. Schakowsky told CBS 2 she plans to talk with members of the U.S. Treasury about the workers' situation.
Also Sunday, President-elect Barack Obama called for more oversight of bank bailout funds and for the workers at Republic Windows to be given the pay and benefits they've earned.
"Number one, I think that these workers, if they have earned these benefits and their pay, then these companies need to follow through on those commitments," Obama said during an appearance. "And number two, I think it is important for us to make sure that moving forward, any economic plan that we put in place helps businesses to meet payroll so that we're not seeing these kinds of circumstances again."
Jackson said he's trying to work with Bank of America to re-extend Republic's line. The bank said it's not responsible for the company's financial obligations to workers.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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