Former Republic Window Factory Workers Create Co-Op

By aaroncynic in News on Jun 1, 2012 8:20PM

Workers from the Serious Energy factory, formerly the Republic Window and Doors factory, announced yesterday they've formed a worker-run cooperative. The group of workers, who earlier this year staged an occupation of the factory when news hit that owners were going to shut it down, have moved forward with a plan to keep the factory running under their control. The success workers had occupying the factory twice, once in 2008 when owners announced a complete shutdown after Bank of America pulled their credit, and again this year when Serious planned to pull out of Chicago, gave them the ability to organize the new collective.

According to Truthout, Armando Robles, president of the United Electrical Workers Local 1110 said, “We learned how to fight against the bosses and now to negotiate contracts with the owners of Republic and Serious Energy, how to negotiate in contract negotiations and how to make escalating actions before going on strike.”

According to a press release, the group founded New Era Windows, LLC and is looking to raise money and find investments to purchase machinery from their former employer.