Foreign Students Continue Strike At Hershey Plant

Friday, 19 August 2011 | by Pat's Picks

A group of foreign exchange students thought they had found a sweet deal: work for three months the Hershey factory in Pennsylvania, packing candy and learning English from their American co-workers. But English wasn’t one of the five languages spoken on the factory floor, says the Harrisburg Patriot-News, and the work was harder than the students expected. They did, however, learn one quintessential American lesson: how to go on strike.

Yesterday was the second day of protests from the group of about 200 students, who paid about $4000 for the opportunity to come to the US and work. Arranged by the State Department, the program allows the students to travel around the country for three months after their employment stint is up. Carrying signs that read, “We fight for our rights, we have our rights,” their unhappiness is evident. What’s unclear? Their actual demands. The Patriot-News says “better wages, better conditions, different jobs and a chance to work alongside Americans” are among them.