LISTEN: "They're Not Considering Us as Human" A Worker Speaks Out

In this interview, Darnell Dixon details the working conditions he faces as a janitor in a center city building in Philadelphia. Mr Dixon explains that the company he currently works for recently established a series of new rules which are clearly violations of Darnell and other workers' human rights. Some of the rules these workers are forced to endure include: no talking on the job, no humming on the job, no pausing for a drink water, and no complaining about lack of ventilation. The broad edict for the workers is that they must be continuously cleaning and continuously moving.

While the rules of this company may seem extreme, there are a growing number of public cases where workers rights are violated by the inhumane practices of business. In 2004, Wal-Mart's warehouse chain, Sam's Club, was found to havelocked workers into the building overnight.Clearly, in a time when temporary work, outsourcing and casualization of labor is common practice, workers performing the least paying jobs are most vulnerable to human rights violations, which we must work to eradicate.In the following audio piece, Darnelldetails the list of new rules for workers in his building and shines a light on the ways that workers' human rights are being violated. John Mason conducted this interview for Labor Justice Radio.

"Cleaning Lady" (Copyright 2008 by Julie Lonneman)