Comparing the situation at Quad-City Die Casting to that of Chicago-based suit maker Hartmarx, Illinois State Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias pledged Monday to do what he can to save the Moline plant and its jobs.

"I can't promise results, but I can promise I'm going to fight hard for you guys," he said told some of the union workers before getting a tour of the plant. He also met briefly with management.

Giannoulias was involved in saving Hartmarx by threatening to take away Wells Fargo's management of the state's $8 billion portfolio if the bank did not support a sale of Hartmarx. Wells Fargo is the lead creditor for that company as well as Quad-City Die Casting.

Late last month, a bankruptcy judge's ruling turned over operation of Hartmarx to London-based Emerisque, avoiding a shutdown of the plant and saving about 4,000 jobs, including 300 at Seaford Clothing in Rock Island. Hartmarx was Seaford's parent company.

Leah Fried, an organizer for United Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, or UE, repeatedly has claimed that Wells Fargo is denying financing to the company that would keep it open. Quad-City Die workers are members of Local 1174. 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.

On July 7, 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. That same day, Wells Fargo issued a statement saying it is not involved in decisions about the day-to-day finances and operations of Quad-City Die, and referred operational questions to company representatives, who have declined comment.

Monday, Wells Fargo and Quad-City Die Casting again declined comment.

U.S. Rep. Phil Hare, D-Ill., who was instrumental in seeing the Hartmarx case resolved, also is working to keep Quad-City Die open.

"He very much wants to see these jobs saved," Hare's press secretary, Tim Schlittner, said. "Every job is important, especially in this economy, especially in the Quad-Cities, which has been hit hard the last couple of decades."

Meanwhile, Frank Kauzlarich, 52, of Moline, the vice president of Local 1174, said Monday he has scheduled a grievance meeting Wednesday with company management to clarify some questions, including whether Quad-City Die ever has asked Wells Fargo for financial help to save the company.

"Whether the company has approached them, I don't know," he said.

He also said "there is a contradiction" between Wells Fargo's statement that it is not involved in the day-to-day financial decisions and Fried's claims that Wells Fargo is involved and, in fact, made the decision to deny benefits.

"We will try to get some clarification. We have to get all parties to stop playing the 'he said, she said' game, " Kauzlarich said.