Three weeks ago I posted on the story of the abrupt closing of the Colibri Company in East Providence, Rhode Island. The company shut their doors without warning, laying off 280 employees and violating the Federal WARN act. The workers, in coordination with our partners at Fuerza Laboral, have filed a lawsuit against the company and turned out to protest soon after the closing.
Now the workers are turning their attention to Colibri’s parent company, Founders Equity. This past Friday 70 Colibri workers and Fuerza Laboral allies boarded a bus to NYC to hold Founders Equity accountable for shutting down Colibri with no notice. Protestors packed the lobby of Founders Equity, making their demands heard.
Leadership at the company refused to meet with the workers, but their message was loud and clear: Founders Equity must be held responsible for violating the Federal WARN Act and as such, need to pay the workers 60 days pay and benefits, plus severance for failing to give notification.
Click here to send a message to Founders Equity asking for justice for the Colibri workers. Over 700 people have already sent their messages to the company. It only takes a minute and it will make a difference!
The Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR) is deeply disappointed that Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Illinois) has proposed an ill-considered amendment to the federal housing relief bill (HR 1106) that would limit eligibility to US citizens and green card holders. If this amendment (amendment #38) were to become law, refugees, asylees, high-skilled workers in the process of getting green cards, and other legal immigrants would be excluded. In addition, US-born children of immigrants would face homelessness solely because of the immigration status of their parents.