While pundits are worrying if Obama will be progressive enough, the president-elect is busy doing something we’d never see Dubya do in a million years– he’s supporting a protest by laid off workers who are holding their employer accountable.

 

 

Workers from the United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America have conducted “peaceful occupation” of the Republic Windows and Doors plant since Friday, when layoffs were supposed to take place. The manufacturer gave the workers just three days notice that they were being let go, claiming Bank of America had cut off credit to the company. However, federal law requires that if workers aren’t given 60 days notice of a mass lay-off then they are entitled to 60 days pay.  Republic Windows and Doors is trying to let the workers go without the severance they deserve.

 

 

Many companies get around paying their workers the 60 severance by laying off a few people shy of what the goverment considers a mass lay-off, or claiming that they tried to get funding up to the very last minute. I’m glad these workers are not falling for the okey doke (holler at my mom’s slang) and demanding their money.

 

Obama joined Jesse Jackson, Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D) and others in supporting the workers’ rights to protest:

 

 

“No. 1, I think that these workers, if they have earned these benefits and their pay, then these companies need to follow through on those commitments,” President-elect Barack Obama said during a news conference Sunday. “And, No. 2, I think it is important for us to make sure that, moving forward, any economic plan that we put in place helps businesses to meet payroll so that we’re not seeing these kinds of circumstances again.” [CNN]

 

 

So yeah, I’m gonna need all the lefties out there who are shitting bricks over Obama’s “centrist” cabinet appointments to fall back for a second and see how things pan out. In the end actions speak louder than words, and Barack’s still acting like a progressive (he could have ignored the issue altogether), so odds are his administration just might do the same.

Tags: Bank of America, Barack Obama, Cabinet, Centrist, Jesse Jackson, Labor, Radio and Machine Workers of America, Republic Windows and Doors, Sit-In, United Electrical