In a carefully orchestrated rally, 11 union employees from Quad-City Die Casting in Moline set themselves up to be arrested Thursday for blocking traffic while picketing in front of the Wells Fargo Bank branch at 30th Street and 18th Avenue in Rock Island.

Chanting "Wells Fargo, shame on you" and carrying signs, more than 100 people - mostly members of Local 1174, United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, or UE - marched along the sidewalk urging drivers to honk their horns.

Those arrested were marched single file onto a police bus, which was driven a few blocks away. Each of those arrested was issued a citation for being a pedestrian in the roadway and then released.

Leah Fried, an organizer for UE, said the union is claiming that Wells Fargo is denying financing to the company, which will result in its closing sometime this summer.

She said the union wants the bank to cooperate in a process that would allow the company to be sold to someone who would keep it open and save the 100 jobs.

On Tuesday, Wells Fargo issued a statement saying it is not involved in making decisions about the day-to-day finances and operations of Quad-City Die, and referred operational questions to company representatives, who have declined comment.

Also on Tuesday, the union said it filed unfair labor practices charges with the National Labor Relations Board claiming that Quad-City Die is denying employees health care benefits, a wage increase and vacation pay.

Frank Kauzlarich, 52, the vice president of UE Local 1174, said he has worked for the company for 16 years, and that through his employment he has been able to raise his family.

He said if the problem is Wells Fargo, the bank needs to loosen the purse strings. If there are other issues, then he would like for all of the parties to get on the same page and find a way to save the company and the jobs.

In the meantime, he has been looking for work. "I've been looking for two months," Kauzlarich said. "There are no jobs. And even if some company does look at your application, it's a buyer's market."