On the morning of July 16, workers at Progressive Gourmet were told they had to reapply for their jobs through a temporary employment agency that would not provide health insurance and other benefits they received as employees of the Wilmington specialty food-distribution company.

Those who refused to agree by 9 a.m. the next day were let go. In all, more than 70 — about one-third of the company’s workforce — lost their jobs.