Factory Workers File Complaints After Being 'Treated Like Animals'

Employees of a Refresco bottling factory in Wharton, New Jersey are voicing their displeasure. Yahoo! News reports the workers filed federal complaints with OSHA to report unsafe conditions. The employees also gathered outside the facility, where they held signs bringing attention to their cause. An immigrant rights group, Wind of the Spirit, and community residents accompanied the disgruntled employees, many of whom are Latin American immigrants. At the rally, the Refresco workers expressed their desire for the company to begin negotiations with their union. The employees voted to form a union in June following a year and a half of organizing. Factors such as low wages, minimal benefits and sexual harassment led to the decision to start a union. After the vote, Refresco, the largest independent bottling corporation in the world, filed a legal appeal against the move to form a union. Almost 250 workers reported issues with the plant.