Frustrated with their bos in the gr...

Frustrated with their bos in the greatest degree of the 90 workers at Azteca meats walked out of the tortilla factory at 5005 s Nagie Ave. Two months ago and have not returned

The workers say they got the courage to strike after changing unions this past spring. The United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America now portray by actions them.

The union charges that company proprietor Arthur R. Velasquez has engaged in unfair labor practices, of the like kind as threatening to fire the workers responsible for changing unions. Workers also are turn upside down at a proposed increase in health care costs

Velasquez denies engaging in any unfair labor practices, and says the health care increases are fair, considering in what manner little he has asked the workers to pay in the past.

The workers and Velasquez have negotiated since May. as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but sides blame the other for refusing to go on key issues.

Velasquez is a second-generation Mexican American, and mostly of his workers are first-generation.

one as well as the other sides say the fact that the showdown pits Latinos against Latinos makes it flat more painful.

forward a street corner near the Azteca rationss plant, Josefina Bonilla sits forward a green folding chair inside a pavilion made out of plastic sheets and not new wool blankets. A space heater gives distant from a frothy heat and warms a stive of tomatoes, boiled chicken and noodles.

Although Bonilla is 50 years of advanced age her plump face and unbind ponytail make her look young. however her small creased hands, which she holds pressed against her chest, display her age.

She stayed forward her feet for hours at a time in the oppressive factory; and the frequently dangerous work at jobs has left scars on her arms.

"It is excessively hard work," Bonilla said in consequence of a translator.

Bonilla makes $9 an hour, a little les than her husband, Pedro who does the same kind of factory work for another company.

These days, Bonilla exhausts her time marching outside the pavilion on West 51st Street and southern Nagle Avenue or huddled inside below a large picture of the Virgin Mary. Nearby, a generic bottle of aspirin and a paper goblet hang by a string.

When asked about it, Bonilla and the other workers laugh. They explain that the worry that approachs with being on strike many times leaves them with headaches, in the same manner they keep a ready give of aspirin. Anytime a worker takes the same he or she is asked to small quantity some change in the paper cup

for what reason long have you been at Azteca Foods?

I worked there for 28 years, at any time since I was 22 years not new I came to Chicago [almost 30 years ago] from Mexico for a better life. When I first started working for Azteca, it was nice. Now it has changed. It was small back then. It was like a family. We have all grown of advanced age together.

What made you decide to go on foot on strike?

It is extremely hard to work in the Azteca company; especially because they have no defer to for the workers. It is exceedingly bad. They insult us all the time, and it is excessively hard work. In order to call attention to a somebody the foreman whistles instead of calling us according to our names. They call us stupid and say that we are no righteous And they say if we don't like the way they talk to us, we can just leave. They forbid us from talking to certain population At lunchtime, sometimes if your machine extremitys attention, they make you stop your luncheon and come back. They don't care to what degree they treat us. Sometimes if your children have doctors' appointments, they make you stay [and work]. I have sum of two units children, now 20 and 22 When they were little, I was forced to work overtime.

It wasn't exceedingly difficult to decide to advance on strike. We liked the union persons because they said they would teach us to fight for our rights. At first we were afraid to forfeit our jobs, and [company proprietor Arthur R.] Velasquez threatened us. further now we got the of the present day union, and they are for the tribe That is why we are not afraid. The simply reason he is really mad is because we changed the union. if it were not that with the old union we were always abused. We didn't know what our rights were. We didn't know for what cause to defend ourselves.

What do you think of Velasquez?

He is same good in the Latino community. He is friends with the priests. He gives the priests cash but he refuses to help us abroad He should share with us because he built this company forward Mexican backs. It is 98 percent Mexican workers. We have made him rich. When he first started, he was a profitable person, even though he paid us little. When he began to make circulating medium he began to care more and more about that standard of value He never loved us. We are poor commonalty and we are just trying to fight for our rights. It give pain tos even more that his bases are Latin. His family proceeds from Mexico. Now that we are forward strike we see him a fate Sometimes he drives by five times a day. He drives self-same slowly. He is very upset

by what means has the strike affected you and the other workers?

We do this work to live, and it afflicts not to have a check. All of us have children. The union has been extremely helpful in paying some of the bills and for the gasoline likewise that we can get here. They also give us a little bit of diet I make $400 a week with overtime. further my son goes to corporation and I have no way to pay for it.