A leading U.S. producer of foam cups has a factory in the DuPage County suburb of West Chicago. Arizona-based WinCup dismissed about a hundred immigrant employees there last week.

That led to a confrontation today. Chicago Public Radio’s Chip Mitchell reports.

Most of the former employees are Mexicans who’d worked at the plant for years. Now WinCup is bringing in temporary staffers.

The former employees gathered at the factory today to demand their last paycheck.

Voices: “I’m backing up.” “This is private property.”

Plant officials turned away the workers’ attorney, Christopher Williams.

Williams: “This is the 21st day after the first day of the last pay period, which is the day they’re entitled, required, to get their paychecks. And one of the issues was they were told they were not going to be paid for vacation that they had earned and they’re entitled to.”

The concerns go beyond dollars and cents.

Williams: “To me, I look around and I want to know why all the employees fired were Latinos.”

WinCup General Counsel Mark Jason says new owners are asking employees at all 11 of the company’s U.S. factories to show immigration documents. He says everyone dismissed in West Chicago failed to come up with proper papers.

He says they’ll get paid for the unused vacation time.

I’m Chip Mitchell, Chicago Public Radio.