Workers Republic

What would you do if your boss gave you three days’ notice that your workplace was closing, leaving you unemployed in a recession and without the severance pay required by law? In December 2008, 260 laid-off workers at Republic Windows and Doors in Chicago occupied their closing factory for six days and refused to leave until the owners and creditors agreed to pay the severance they were owed. Their credit line had been cut off by Bank of America, which had just received billions of dollars in federal bailout money. The film follows the workers’ collective action, their demands and negotiations, and their attempt to defend dignity and workers’ rights during the financial crisis.