Progress Illinois

The Daily Herald reports that hundreds of Hart Schaffner Marx workers have sent a poster to President Obama, who regularly wears their suits:

A large poster bearing the signatures of more than 500 workers at Hart Schaffner & Marx's manufacturing plant in Des Plaines is making its way to President Barack Obama.

Its message: "Our jobs are worth saving, Mr. President. Thank you for wearing our Hart Schaffner & Marx suits."

Meanwhile, the union that represents HartMarx's Illinois employees, Workers United, is organizing a vigil outside the plant starting tomorrow, as the Sun-Times notes:

[U]nion members at Hartmarx's Hart Schaffner Marx factory in Des Plaines plan to protest with community activists and other supporters outside the factory starting Thursday to try to keep Wells Fargo, a Hartmarx lender, from forcing Hartmarx into liquidation.

As we've previously reported, three bidders are currently interested in purchasing HartMarx.  Two are reportedly interested in keeping the historic company intact, while the third is rumored to favor liquidation.  The union, along with several members of Congress, are pushing Wells Fargo to support one of the bidders that would keep the company running.  Meanwhile, union officials tell the Herald that the bank may be holding out for higher bids.

More to come ...

Full disclosure: Workers United, which presents the Hartmarx workers, is an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union.  The SEIU Illinois State Council sponsors this website.