Cleveland workers hear from Republic strikers

On Feb. 10 over 100 trade unionists, students and community activists filled the Teamsters Local 407 hall to hear about the heroic sit-down at Republic Windows and Doors Factory this past December. Bob Kingsley, UE Director of Organizing, raised that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce had a key national figure sitting in on the negotiations between UE, Republic management and the Bank of America. According to Kingsley, the Chamber representative was quite eager to get the dispute settled, expressing fear that the sit-down tactic might otherwise spread.

Armando Robles, president of UE Local 110, described the process leading up to the takeover and the high level of solidarity that was maintained. He spoke of his encounter in Detroit with the surviving participants of the 1937 Flint Sit-down: “I was so proud to meet them and shake their hands.”