Point Blank, which makes bulletproof vests for the U.S. military and police agencies, fired the three workers in an attempt to intimidate workers pushing for representation by the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees (UNITE).
In addition, the judge ordered the clothing manufacturer to rehire the 175 workers who have been on strike for almost six months in protest at the firings. The workers have picketed the plant since August 9 demanding union representation and improved conditions. The court set a February 7 deadline for the company to complete the rehiring.
In the course of the half-year stoppage the Point Blank struggle became a popular cause among workers in the area. Strikers responded in kind to other struggles. They brought solidarity and news of the dispute, for example, to the large protests organized last year against the jailing of refugees from Haiti.
The federal injunction comes at the request of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), which found that the company had violated federal norms for workers’ rights as they tried to block the organizing efforts. "It’s not a victory of the NLRB, it’s a victory of the workers. The company could have kept firing union supporters, but the people walked out after three. That took real courage," said UNITE organizer Maria Revelles.
A festival atmosphere was evident on the picket line the morning after the court ruling, de la Cruz remarked. "People kissed the ground when they heard the news of the victory," he said. "Some workers from inside came out to the picket line to congratulate us."
The picketing continued throughout the day, as workers celebrated, singing victory songs and chanting. "You messed with Briceño, Midho, Sadius, but you got burned, Point Blank," they chanted in Creole, listing in turn the three fired workers. "In the struggle of the people, no one gets tired," they chanted in Spanish.
Strikers took time out from picketing to hold a union meeting where they voted to return to work without conditions. The picket will be maintained right up to that point. "I am going to go back in with my arms held high and a ‘V’ for victory," said Carmen García.
Point Blank officials said they will comply with the court ruling. At the same time, they announced they will open a new plant nearby.
"This is a strategy to divide us by putting the new replacement workers in a separate facility," noted Virginia Salazar, referring to the scab workforce that kept production going through the stoppage. "But they are wrong. Even if they put us on different sides of the hemisphere they cannot divide us. They have no idea what we are capable of."
Salazar emphasized that "we are preparing to go back in with discipline and care. There are many friends of the union inside, but there are also many against us."
De la Cruz is also looking forward to this next stage of the struggle. "We will continue with a very strong campaign for the union inside the plant," he said. "If the company doesn’t want to sign a contract immediately, we will need to win a certification election. We will have to try to convince everyone when we go back to work that the union is the best for everyone."