The plant employs about 70 workers, divided almost equally between those from Mexico and from Poland. Around 35 workers, all Polish, have continued working through the course of the strike. Two of the Polish workers decided not to cross the picket line. The company has hired about 10 workers since the strike began.

"We often work as many as 80 hours in the course of a five-day week," said Hugo, a delivery driver. "On some days we start as early as 5:00 in the morning and do not finish until midnight. We receive no overtime pay." He said that a group of workers at the plant had been meeting weekly for the last six months to discuss organizing a union. The company starts most workers at around $4 an hour--less than the legal minimum--topping out at around $6 an hour. In addition to the long hours and low pay, Carlos, a machine operator for five years, said that they have concerns over safety conditions at the plant. None of the workers receive medical benefits.

The sole demand of the strike is that all of the fired workers, including Oscar Palacios, be rehired. So far the company has refused to negotiate.

The Tuv Taam strikers organized a rally July 11 outside the plant. According to the Spanish-language daily newspaper Hoy, about 80 strikers and their supporters participated in the rally.

Hoy reports that the strikers are working with the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund to file a complaint against Tuv Taam with the National Labor Relations Board.  
 
 
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