Melville House Books

In the newest installment in the Melville House “Live Book” project, Kari Lydersen examines how labor and immigrant movements converged at the Republic Doors and Windows factory ….

Workers marching against Smithfield Foods last August --- a successful effort that, like the one at Republic Windows and Doors, that benefited from immigrant involvement.

Wednesday, December 17, 2008 — On May 1, 2008  immigrant workers from Republic Windows and Doors were among thousands who marched through the city demanding meaningful immigration reform. The march was part of the movement that grew out of the massive immigrant rights marches that swept through major cities and small towns throughout the US in 2006. The first of these marches was in Chicago on March 10, 2006, launching a coalition called the March 10 Movement, which continues to be a major force for immigrants rights and other struggles. Republic workers and a UE contingent were also part of that first march.

Immigrants rights and labor struggles have dovetailed over the past few years, both as unions have embraced immigrant workforces (after a history of hostility in many cases), and as part of the rapid rise of the  workers center movement, which has brought together day laborers, temp workers and workers at non-union sites. Numerous immigrant workers’ struggles have been sparked by firings after the Social Security Administration has sent out No Match letters casting doubt on their legal status. Often the letters are used as an excuse to fire workers who are organizing.

No Match letters were not an issue at Republic, but local immigrants rights leaders see an existing and likely ongoing link between these types of struggles. “Republic would not have happened without the marches,” said organizer Jorge Mujica. The March 10 Movement, which holds weekly meetings, embraced the Republic struggle from the start and organized the fundraiser previously chronicled here. At that event, UE organizer Mark Meinster credited the Chicago Workers Collaborative, a grassroots labor and immigrants rights group, and organizer Martin Unzueta for facilitating the union’s original organizing drive at Republic.

Historically in tough economic times, xenophobia rears its head and right wing groups play on public fear and insecurity to stoke hatred of immigrants who some people see as taking jobs. But the fact is immigrants are a huge and inextricable part of the US labor force, and no movement can succeed without them. UE has long realized this, organizing immigrant worksites and forming relationships with Mexican independent labor groups. Major unions like SEIU have also in recent years made immigrants rights an integral part of their platforms.

Unions have both stepped up organizing efforts of immigrant worksites, and also realized it is in their interest to support struggles of workers centers and other non-union groups of workers.

The Republic victory coincided with a major unionizing victory with the United Food and Commercial Workers and immigrant workers at the notorious Smithfield meatpacking plant in North Carolina.

Mujica thinks the Republic and Smithfield  victories will help energize the 100 Day Campaign launched by prominent Chicago groups to demand action on immigration from President-elect Barack Obama within his first 100 days in office, which will culminate on May Day, when immigrants — surely including the Republic workers and their supporters — will again march.

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