I work in the soil sort department of the Sodexo laundry on Collinwood Yards. I started working at the plant about one year ago. When I started I was making minimum wage, $7.50 an hour. Now I make $8.39 an hour, but it's still hard to make ends meet. I'm a Vietnam Veteran and get most of my health benefits provided to me by the VA, but I can't afford the health insurance from Sodexo to provide healthcare for my family.

In the soil sort department, my job is to pick out certain pieces of healthcare linen, like medical pads or gowns, as they pass on a conveyor, then I put them into corresponding bins. Sometimes the piles of linen are as tall as I am. As I pull pieces of linen I try to quickly shake them out so the medical waste tangled in them falls to ground and doesn't get washed with the linen. Working on the soil sort conveyor, I typically see all sorts of medical waste, like disposable bed pads covered in feces, blood clots, scalpels, and syringes.

When I found a syringe I tried to put it in the sealed container for needle disposal, but found that the box was locked. I took the syringe to my supervisor and asked how I should properly dispose of the needle. The supervisor told me to put the dirty needle into her ungloved hand, which is unsafe for her and isn't the way we're supposed to dispose of needles.

The laundry is very hot, particularly in the summer. About two times a month I get nose bleeds because it's so hot and dry in the plant. I got one just last week. When I feel it coming, I try to deal with it fast so I'm not off the line too long. Of course when it's hot you sweat and at the end of the day I'm usually covered in lint and dust that sticks to the exposed part of my skin.

Working in the soil department, I want to be able to wash my hands with hot water at lunch, breaks or when I go to the "clean side" of the laundry. Unfortunately, the plant does not have hot water available for workers to wash their hands, so I have to wash them in cold water. The plant does have a number of anti-bacterial gel containers around the plant so people can make sure their hands are not contaminated when they go to the "clean side." Unfortunately the dispensers are empty and have not been filled for a long time.

I work hard and get along with my co-workers and even the supervisors, but I don't think anyone should work in these types of conditions, without being able to have affordable health insurance and a good wage.

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