Justice Follows Direct Action: Former Boss of Occupied Chicago Factory Jailed

[babylonsister]

Justice Follows Direct Action: Former Boss of Occupied Chicago Factory Jailed

by Benjamin Dangl


Richard Gillman, the former CEO of Chicago's Republic Windows and Doors factory where over 200 workers organized a victorious sit-in last year, has been sent to jail on eight charges including felony, theft, fraud, and money laundering. After the judge announced the $10 million bail, the shocked and dazed Gillman, dressed in a pin-striped suit, was hauled away to the county jail.

Republic workers captured the attention of the world when they occupied their plant on December 5, 2008 calling for the severance and vacation pay they were due. The sit-in ended six days later when the Bank of America and other lenders to Republic agreed to pay the workers the approximately $2 million owed to them. Recently, the workers won another victory with the arrest of Gillman.

The prosecutors charge that Gillman defrauded creditors of over $10 million, and then went ahead to use company money to complete payments on leases for two luxury cars – while his employees went without pay.

According to court records Gillman also secretly sent three semi-trailers full of equipment from the Republic factory to a non-unionized factory in Iowa without the consent of Republic board members and creditors. Luckily, however, the organized Republic workers followed the trailers, and during the occupation, prevented executives from entering the factory to take company documents that now make up much of the case against Gillman and other Republic officials.

"Gillman and others knew this company was headed for closure," Anita Alvarez, the Cook County state's attorney, told reporters. "And instead of fulfilling their legal obligations to their creditors and their moral obligations to their employees, they devised a scheme to benefit themselves."

"We knew Gillman was lying to us for a long time, now the rest of the world knows it too," said Armando Robles, the President of UE Local 1110, the Republic workers' union. "Workers suffer with bad bosses all the time so this is a victory for all workers."

more...

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/09/15

[chaplainM]

1. Proud to be a union worker when I hear stories like this.

Especially how the workers prevented management from destroying evidence.

[babylonsister]

2. And I'm so happy this guy got nailed. Kharma, baby! nt

[Hannah Bell]

3. kick & r

[surrealAmerican]

4. Glad to hear it.

It's about time people who steal millions of dollars are treated as harshly as those who steal considerably less.

[Book Lover]

5. More of this, please!

We are not weak; we are not helpless. This is great news!