A crowd of 100 garment workers gathered along 33rd St. in Manhattans Garment District September 15, the second day of a strike against posh handbag maker Judith Leiber. The bags they make sell for between $3,000 and $6,000, but 200-plus workers at the plant start at minimum wage. Organized by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 342, the workers walked out in the face of a contract offer that included a paltry 20 cent raisenot even enough to keep pace with inflation since the last contractand moves to lengthen the work day. Just imagine! Surviving is all I am doing, said Justina Burgos, who has three children. After 11 years at the plant Burgos makes $8 an hour.
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