Workers at Obama suitmaker in Des Plaines vote to stage sit-in
Workers at a suburban Hart Schaffner & Marx factory where suits for President Barack Obama are made say they'll stage a sit-in if the clothier's creditor goes ahead with company liquidation.
Workers at Chicago-based Hartmarx Corp. rallied inside a Des Plaines plant Monday and voted unanimously to stage a sit-in if Wells Fargo liquidates.
Hartmarx filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January. A Hartmarx spokesman says the company has interested buyers and is weighing offers.
Union officials say the factory's 500 jobs could be lost, and they're prepared to fight.
In a statement, San Francisco-based Wells Fargo says it sympathizes with workers, but Hartmarx is unable to pay the $114 million it owes the bank.
The company wouldn't say when a liquidation could take place.
<div class="infoBox"> <h1>More Coverage</h1> <div class="infoBoxContent"> <div class="infoArea"> <h2>Video</h2> <ul class="video"> <li><a href="/multimedia/?category=9&type=video&item=342">Protest at Des Plaines business</a></li> </ul> <h2>Stories</h2> <ul class="links"> <li><a href="/story/?id=291983">State official threatens bank in suitmaker's bankruptcy <span class="date">[05/07/09]</span></a></li> <li><a href="/story/?id=291557">Suitmaker's employees take plea to president <span class="date">[05/06/09]</span></a></li> </ul> <h2>Related documents</h2> <ul class="morePdf"> <li><a href="/pdf/wellsfargo.pdf">Letter from State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias to Wells Fargo</a></li> <li><a href="/pdf/obamahsm.pdf">Obama: A fashion role model </a></li> </ul> <h2>Related links</h2> <ul class="moreWeb"> <li><a href="http://www.hartmarx.com/history.htm">Company history </a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div>