Tue Dec 09, 2008 at 18:11:09 PM EST
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I spent part of this afternoon with the workers of Republic Windows and Doors, who have attracted national attention for their occupation of their Chicago factory. As you may have read, the company laid off 250 workers last week, with three days notice. Workers are owed at least a million dollars in severance and vacation pay. The company claims to be unable to pay because Bank of America, a recent recipient of a $15 billon government bailout, has cut off the company’s credit line.
Of course, the workers also want to hold onto their jobs--especially as rumors fly that Republic plans to open a new plant in another state.
(Just an hour ago, Bank of America agreed to extend some credit to the company; the exact terms are not public).
Since the workers moved into the building on Friday, hundreds of people, ranging from high-level politicians to ordinary people have stopped by to participate in rallies and to drop off food for the workers. Today, 100-some people gathered for an interfaith rally organized by Interfaith Worker Justice and its Chicago affiliate, Chicago Interfaith Committee on Workers’ Issues. I happened to be in Chicago for the board meeting of Interfaith Worker Justice, and so joined the group for this rally. Tomorrow, more than 1000 people are expected at a rally outside of the Bank of America building in downtown Chicago.
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| Rabbi Jill Jacobs :: Inside Republic Windows and Doors |
When I am asked to offer a prayer at a public event, I am never quite sure what to do. Jewish prayer and Christian prayer are quite different, and Jewish prayer lends itself less easily to spontaneous, inspirational prayers. This time, I chose to offer a short d’var torah (teaching) about Jacob’s struggle with the divine being, which ends with the divine being renaming Jacob Yisrael—the one who struggles with God. For Jacob, this struggle may not be easy, but ultimately results in his being able to come into his own as an adult—after the confrontation, he is able to reconcile with his brother, and to set up his family in a new place. Struggle may be difficult, but ultimately leads us to a place we otherwise could not have imagined going.
I reflected on this story again in a conversation with another clergy member after the rally. He noted how ordinary the workers looked. These were mostly middle aged men and women who held themselves with humility, and who looked more like everyday moms and dads than like fiery revolutionaries. Through the struggle with the company, these workers have taken on new roles, as spokespeople for America’s workers, and as reminders of the need for a stimulus plan that will create and preserve jobs.
The workers have decided not to allow outsiders into the factory proper. The one exception, though, is clergy, who are able to enter the building. I therefore joined a group of twenty or so clergy who entered the building.
We walked into a cavernous room, filled with colorful pipes hanging from the ceiling and reaching in all directions. In the midst of this massive space, we met a group of twenty or so workers (the workers are taking eight-hour shifts), who stood in a tight circle as we surrounded them and offered prayers. Some of the Christian pastors spoke about Jesus as a laborer and as a hero to the poor; others simply offered words of encouragement. The workers barely spoke, though a few shed tears. But few words were needed; I think it’s safe to say that every person there acutely felt the divine presence in this most unlikely of spaces, as we held each other and prayed together--v'shachanti b'tocham;if we build the holy spaces, God will come to dwell among us there. |
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