aricarmen works the night shift at an automotive maquiladora, a factory producing goods for export, in Torreón, Mexico. While the city sleeps, she works. When her shift ends, another round of work begins at home.

For years, she and her coworkers worked without an organization representing them. Then, one day, they were told they had a union. No one had asked whether they wanted to join it, and they had not taken part in choosing it.

Maricarmen greeted the news with distrust, but gradually began to get involved. Her willingness to speak out against injustice and defend her coworkers led her toward a role she had never imagined for herself.

Through her experience, this episode explores the difference between having a union in name and having a meaningful voice within it. Her story connects the demands of factory work and responsibilities at home with the possibilities for women to participate in shaping union life.