South bank of the Thames River.
At 3 p.m., dock workers greeted one another, put down their work, and gathered in small groups behind the warehouse in sheltered spots to enjoy a 20-minute tea break.
But lately, tea has become increasingly rare during the tea break.
Most of the workers gnawed on black bread. Those who were lucky enough to have a bit of almost flavorless tea drew envious glances from others.
At that moment, a man wearing a relatively tidy black short coat approached the group and began conversing quietly with the workers.
After a moment, he walked over and patted Andy's father, Scott, on the shoulder. Glancing at the clear water in Scott's cup, he sighed, "Scott, things haven't been easy lately, have they?"
Scott turned his head and recognized the man as someone from the dockworkers' union. He nodded dejectedly.
