I never thought much about it when I was eating it. My uncle would take me to the movies and buy me a box of red vines. I always ate red, he liked black. They made the movies better—those black and red licorice vines. We’d chew very hard, lodging bits of licorice in our teeth—nearly yanking our teeth out at times. We’d sit and chew while watching some of the greatest cinematic offerings of the century which included: Kung Fu Mama, Blacula, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Frankenstein vs. Billy the Kid, Godzilla vs. King Kong, and a host of others.
I never thought about the folks in the factory who made the red vines. They are the hard workers at American Licorice in Union City. They are women and men, many who have worked for the company for over 2 decades, some nearly 40 years. The company’s 178 workers have been on strike since December 5thwhen negotiations with management broke down over health benefits and wages. Workers and management began negotiations in August. The two sides have been away from the table after the company’s final offer.
The average employee at American Licorice earns 16.00 per hour. However, the last decade has seen a drastic decrease in the number of workers due to advances in technology.
Many workers have families and the strike came during the holidays. At the moment, management has walked away from the table.
The main point of contention is the health plan which includes increased health coverage fees for workers. Workers went on strike at midnight on December 5thafter the company’s final contract offer. Rene Castillo, Vice President of Bakery Workers Union 125 says that the proposed health care plan would require employees to pay deductibles and a percentage of their premiums.
Workers blocked the entrance to the company in an attempt to disrupt production and draw attention to their struggle. According to Union City Police, there have been noise complaints and various safety issues—such as a makeshift outdoor kitchen—that violated safety codes. Funny how the police can find any number of things to disrupt a union protest but when they have some kind of labor issue, they all of a sudden become a union that requires our respect. But when do you ever recall the cops ever respecting unions outside of their own?
As poor and working people denied health care, we support the strikers in their fight to get the healthcare benefits they deserve.