The NYT ran a comprehensive story about the Republic Windows and Doors sit-in strike's genesis, negotiations, and resolution. One of the most damning paragraphs stems from Republic's owner's slimy demands:
"And at the last minute of negotiations, according to Representative Luis V. Gutierrez, Democrat of Illinois, who helped moderate talks to resolve the standoff, and union officials, Republic’s chief executive, Richard Gillman, demanded that any new bank loan to help the employees also cover the lease of several of his cars — a 2007 BMW 350xi and a 2002 Mercedes S500 are among those registered to company addresses — as well as eight weeks of his salary, at $225,000 a year." I can't believe Gillman's gall. He is partially responsible for screwing his workers and he has the gumption to speak such outlandish requests?
For those who are curious, the final resolution: "Eventually, the parties agreed that the workers would be the only ones to benefit. They would be paid severance and for vacation, and receive two months’ health coverage. The company owners also agreed to come up with $114,000 to cover the payroll for their last week of work."
I wrote this last weekend, but with grading I had to shelve posting.
story
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment