Hart Schaffner & Marx workers vote Monday on possible sit-in

Hart Schaffner & Marx workers in Des Plaines on Monday are expected to vote on whether to stage a sit-in, as they fight to save their jobs in the face of company bankruptcy.

The workers' unions have scheduled a rally for 10 a.m. to noon Monday at the Des Plaines factory, 1680 E. Touhy.

The workers are expected to take a vote on whether to stage a sit-in at the factory if the company's major creditor, Wells Fargo Bank, continues to push for the company's liquidation.

Workers have argued that Wells Fargo received $25 billion in federal bailout money and should let some of that money trickle down to struggling businesses, like Hartmarx, which makes high-end suits, including President Barack Obama's inauguration tuxedo.

Hartmarx Corp.'s had $261 million in debt of early October. The 122-year-old company employs about 1,000 people in Illinois and Indiana.