Obama to Visit With Ousted Window Factory Workers

President-elect Obama is going to show his solidarity with about 200 Chicago workers who lost their jobs and then denied severance and their vacation pay.

Ok, so yeah, this is sorta sad, right before Christmas, to lose your job & severance.  Lets read on:

CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama is weighing in on behalf of workers staging a sit-in on the factory floor of their former Chicago employer to protest abruptly losing their jobs last week.

Obama told a news conference Sunday that Republic Windows and Doors should follow through on its commitments to the 200 workers, who say they won’t leave the plant until they are assured they’ll receive their severance and vacation pay.

Um, now I’m no expert but wouldn’t their time be better spent..oh, lets see…getting new jobs?
Oh wait, I am an expert, I’ve been fired/layed off/quit more than 15 times.

“The workers who are asking for the benefits and payments that they have earned, I think they’re absolutely right and understand that what’s happening to them is reflective of what’s happening across this economy,” Obama said.

Yes, there is legal claim to benefits and payments that you’ve earned.  No argument there.  But are they really “refelctive of what’s happening across this economy”?

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan also said her office was investigating the company, which has not commented on the sit-in.

To their amazement, the workers have become a national symbol for thousands of employees laid off nationwide as the economy continues to sour.

Really?  How did I miss that one?

“We never expected this,” said Melvin Maclin, a factory employee and vice president of the local union that represents the workers. “We expected to go to jail.”

Ahah!  Now we find out what’s happening…they’re part of a Union!  That’s why they won’t get new jobs, they’ve been convinced that they can’t…that they need the union to take care of them.
Oh and yes tresspassing can get you jail time, but rarely does.  Although - since taxpayer money (by way of unemployment benefits) is likely be feeding and housing you anyway, Jail won’t be so bad either.

[snip]
Leah Fried, an organizer for the United Electrical Workers union that represents the workers, said the company told the union that Bank of America has canceled its financing. The bank had said in a statement that it wasn’t responsible for Republic’s financial obligations to its employees.

Well, now that is kinda sad…back to my point - if this company is so bad off that the bank has cancelled it’s credit then I’d guess that sitting around the old abandoned facility isn’t going to bring it back.  Sorry.

One of the factory’s workers, Silvia Mazon, said in Spanish that she needs the money owed to her for an $1,800 monthly house payment. The 40-year-old from Cicero said she has enough money saved to survive for one month.

Wait a minute.  First of all, the whole “said in Spanish” could launch several pages of comment, but I’ll try to stay focused. 

$1800 house payment?!?!

Are you freakin kidding me? $1800? Do you know how much house that buys?  I do, at 6% it buys a $262,000 house with NO down payment, and that includes property tax!  At 8.5% it buys $206,000!
Shouldn’t she be working to pay that?  Oh way, lemme guess….another victim of predatory lending.

“We’re making history,” she said.

You sure are, shine on you crazy diamond.

Read the full story HERE but beware, the last line may make you barf.

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