In Chicago Meatpacking Struggle, Union Responds to Worker Criticism

http://www.inthesetimes.com/working/entry/6730/chicago_meatpacking_struggle_the_unions_side/

Tuesday Dec 7, 2010 10:49 am

By Kari Lydersen

The situation has strong parallels to the famous Republic Windows and Doors struggle exactly two years ago: several hundred largely immigrant workers out of a job just before the holidays, after their Chicago plant closed suddenly without giving them vacation or severance pay they were due…and not long after the plant had received significant investment meant to help it expand. As at Republic WIndows, the closure violated the WARN Act mandating workers get 60 days notice or 60 days severance pay in the event of a plant closing.

But the former employees of the Protein Solutions meatpacking plant on Chicago’s southwest side have not had a victory like the Republic Windows workers. (See my previous blog on the situation here.) The union representing them, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 1546, is pursuing WARN Act compensation for the workers and is asking Protein Solutions workers to visit the union hall this Friday (Dec. 10) to fill out their claims.

Shortly after the closing, the union brokered a meeting between the company and a bank officer in hopes of securing financing to keep the plant open or at least pay the workers their due – as Bank of America and Chase did after the factory occupation at Republic Windows. But UFCW Local 1546 spokesman Jeff Weiss said the company owner didn’t show for the meeting, “leaving our president and the bank standing twiddling their thumbs.”

Now the company is in bankruptcy, and Weiss said the union’s legal counsel is involved in “effects bargaining” to get the workers the money they’re due. The amount they are able to recoup depends in part on what assets the company has left and how the bankruptcy court decides to divvy them up—workers are usually among the last to get paid when a company goes out of business, as they are "unsecured creditors" while financial institutions and other "secured creditors" are first in line for payment.

FULL story at link.