'Workers' Republic' is a 60-minute documentary that chronicles one of the most important and memorable labor victories in recent memory. The film won the John Michaels Human Rights Film Award at the 32nd annual Big Muddy Film Festival in Feb. 2010.

Three weeks before Christmas 2008, in the midst of the economic crisis and bank bailouts, Chicago company Republic Windows and Doors announced the factory's closure. They informed their work force that they would not be paid for their final week or receive their accrued vacation pay. Insurance benefits were cut immediately, and the workers were denied the 60-day severance guaranteed under the federal WARN Act.

What those ordinary people did next reminded the working class it possesses a power long forgotten. In a move that harkened back to the sit-down strikes of the 1930s, they occupied the doomed factory day and night for nearly a week, declaring they would not leave until they were given what their employer owed them.

The workers won the public over to their cause and the story made headlines all over the world. 'Workers' Republic' conveys the courage, the creativity, and the solidarity of those window-builders who vowed to stand up for their rights. From the opening moments to the eventual victory, and culminating in the surprise fate of the Chicago factory, the film shows radical action can be a solution to exploitation.

Filmmaker Andrew Friend has assembled the accounts of several of the main fighters in the Republic struggle, including front line workers, the organizers of their small union, and a few of the thousand people that supported them through small acts of solidarity.

Their courageous action was an inspiration to so many in this new recession... it was an microcosm of what is possible when ordinary people rise up and take a stand! In our turbulent times of economic strife, 'Workers' Republic' is an inspiring anthem and flag bearer of what's possible when people transcend their differences and co-actively join forces to boldly achieve a common goal.

Awards
Official Selection Reel Work Labor Film Festival 2009
John Michaels Human Rights Film Award, Big Muddy Film Festival 2010