Sitdown strikes[edit]

Beginning on the day of the closure, 200 of the 240 workers of the Goose Island factory began an organized sitdown strike to protest alleged violation of federal labor law by Republic in that the company did not give the workers 60 days notice prior to the announcement of closure (this, however, was allegedly based upon the lack of lending from Bank of America).^[6]


The sit-in lasted until the workers reached a settlement with the factory over severance, vacation time, and temporary health care benefits; the settlement, which was reached on December 11 and amounted to over $1.75 million,^[11] was negotiated by the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America (of whose Local 1110 branch the workers were members), Republic owners and Bank of America over three days.


On December 10, Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase agreed to create a $1.75 million fund to pay the workers their back pay and benefits and to provide two months of health insurance coverage.^[5]


Kari Lydersen's blog on the sit-in was expanded into a book titled Revolt on Goose Island.^[12] The book was released in June 2009.


On February 23, 2012, about 65 workers initiated a second sit-in strike of Serious Materials (formerly Republic Windows and Doors). The occupation was in response to factory owners Serious Energy's announcement that it would be closing the factory and consolidating operations in Colorado and Pennsylvania. Workers ended the occupation at approximately 2 AM on February 24, 2012, after owners agreed to keep the factory open for 90 days. United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America Local 1110 president Armando Robles said that he wanted workers to own and operate the plant themselves.^[13] Robles and other former Republic and Serious workers have now formed a worker cooperative that makes replacement windows, called New Era Windows.

Criminal charges[edit]

In September 2009, Cook County prosecutors charged that the sudden plant closing in December 2008 was part of a plot by CEO Richard Gillman, the head of Republic Windows. The prosecutors said that Gillman and two other undisclosed executives secretly trucked 10 semitrailers full of window manufacturing equipment from the plant, moving three trailers of equipment to Red Oak, Iowa. On January 1, 2009, Gillman took over a Red Oak window company that had been operating since 1985. But in February 2009 that company closed as well, laying off 120 employees.^[14]


In December 2013, Gillman was sentenced to four years in prison for stealing $500,000 from Republic Windows and Doors.^[15]