Workers at Top City Produce rallied Saturday in support for five immigrant workers who were fired after joining a union.
Osvaldo Garcia, one of the men fired, says before he joined the union, conditions at Top City Produce were awful. "We never received any benefits from the boss. We never received overtime pay,? Garcia says.
The union, with support of Brand Workers International, filed a charge at the National Labor Relations Board alleging retaliatory firing.
Workers say the sweat-shop conditions at the company need to change. They say the owner of the company gave them no choice but to put up with the conditions, even after union negotiations.
The fire employees are demanding their jobs back, back wages, benefits and at least minimum wage pay.
A union organizer says the New York Attorney General?s office is in the process of negotiating back wages for the employees.
Top City Produce did not return phone calls.