An American senator from Dodge City was among tourists confronted by protesting picketers at the Belleek Pottery factory in Fermanagh on Saturday.
Iowa State senator Daryl Beall refused to pass the picketers, who were demonstrating against the company's failure to pay redundancy terms recommended by the Labour Court.
Picket spokesman Patrick Lipsett said: "He joined us for a couple of minutes and even carried a placard. He said that as a Democrat he would not cross a picket line. He promised to bring attention to our plight in the US."
The picket was formed by workers of Belleek's associated company, Donegal Parian China, which shut down its operation in Ballyshannon two months ago. Production was switched to the parent company across the Border in Belleek, Co Fermanagh.
The firm offered statutory redundancy of two weeks' pay per year of service to the 54 people laid off.
The former employees, who are not members of a trade union, say the company told them last Thursday it is not obliged to honour a Labour Court recommendation of 3.5 weeks' pay per year of service. Most worked there for 15 years.
Mr Lipsett said they would continue to cross the Border to picket at Belleek until they get justice. "We met the Taoiseach recently when he was in Sligo and he said he would put pressure on the company to honour the Labour Court recommendations. All we are seeking is our rights."
The company told the court it was forced to close in Co Donegal because sales had plummeted by 60 per cent since the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, in the US.
No spokesman was available at the company over the weekend.