Windows, Doors and Revolution

The occupation of the Republic Doors and Windows factory in Chicago is an exemplary action and it demands thinking about what the next step might be. What to DO with the factory? Though the workers seem intent on mainly getting some compensation, the obvious contradictions of the situation are so glaring that its obvious that a radical education is taking place. Bank of America (or, its executives) gets bailed out, but the company/workers they finance gets the shaft. The workers even discovered that there were more orders on the books than management told them, so its obvious that "cutting losses" means ensuring that the higher-ups get paid before the ship goes down.

So, windows and doors, windows and doors... Unlike with the auto industry, its easier to imagine the building trades being re-tooled or re-converted into producing things that people actually need. Here's a question: If we could encourage another trade or industry to take over THEIR workplace, which one would be most beneficial for the window and door makers in Chicago? In other words, how to organize between real need and production in a way that can be employed immediately, that would directly support the strikers/occupiers, who would be busy producing...SOMEthing for the people. If the local foreclosed-upon and homeless-population were organized enough to take some land, could window and door workers make small "house-kits" for them? Could these be paid for in kind, could the community help sustain the occupation, take a stand when the police eventually come or when the union tries to convince people to take a few hundred bucks and go home?

We know that most often these kinds of arrangements aren't possible, the economy is too severely tooled for the consumption/credit cycle and not to fulfill real needs. But if the alternative to this is to be created, we have to start thinking about the practical steps to take in the moment of crisis. What can we do to create and exchange REAL VALUE in order to rescue ourselves from the fall out of the "declining rate of profit"?


http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1276535/republic_windows_and_doors_workers.html
http://news.lalate.com/celebrity/home.html?task=videodirectlink&id=454
http://news.lalate.com/2008/12/06/republic-windows-and-doors-plant/