The plant, which makes copper and brass plates for shipbuilding, electrical generation, desalination, and other industrial uses, has reportedly turned down new orders as it maintains minimal operations with managers and supervisors.

The company is trying to impose severe concessions in a new contract. These include a wage freeze, the elimination of a tonnage bonus that added up to $3 an hour to the basic wage, the freezing of pensions for senior workers, and employee co-payment for medical insurance. Just the co-pay requirement would save the company a reported $500,000 per year.

Revere Copper is also demanding a workweek of four 10-hour days, allowing it to add a weekend shift of three 12-hour days, and to run the plant seven days a week without paying overtime or weekend premium rates. A delegation of strikers participated in a rally of the Communication Workers of America held July 11 in nearby Fairhaven to protest AT&T's blocking of union organizing in cable television and wireless phone services.

The company and the union have met only once since the strike began. The union offered to return to work under the old contract on a day-to-day basis while continuing to negotiate. The company refused. No other negotiations are scheduled.

In visits to the picket line, many workers interviewed expressed pride in the fact that there is no talk of accepting the company's demands, even after 14 weeks on strike.

Although some workers have been forced to get other jobs, not one of the 82 workers has crossed the picket line. This is a marked difference from previous strikes against concession contracts in 1990 and 1993, when the union divided and capitulated after three weeks.

The UAW held a rally at the plant attended by 200 people May 4. There is talk of other outreach activities, including sending a busload of strikers to Revere's Rome, New York, plant, which has a separate UAW contract that expires in January.

Bob Perry, who has 33 years in the plant, said, "The solidarity is great. The morale is great. We're still here."

Striker Gary Pollitt pledged to continue the fight. "We want a fair contract. We've been out here too long. We can't go back in on their terms now."

Martin Boyers is a member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees, and a former member of UAW Local 168 who worked at Revere Copper.