Mr. Lee propositioned several of the women, telling them it would lead to a better job. He told the younger workers that he was like their father, and they should trust him. According to the December 2000 report, Department of Labor investigators discovered conditions including substandard housing and diet, sanitation, electrical hazards, fall hazards, fire protection hazards, machine guarding hazards, workplace violence and substandard food. The workers barracks are over crowded, and often two women are forced to share a single bunk bed just 36 inches wide. At night, rats eat through the women s clothing, which is stored right next to their beds.
Rodent feces is everywhere.
There are no sinks, no hot water, no soap, no toilet paper, and feces backs up though the shower drains. Many doors and windows lack screens, despite the fact that dengue fever is endemic. Cockroaches are found everywhere, in the women s purses and in their bedside lockers. The workers are fed a diet which, according to the DOL, consists of a watery broth of rice and cabbage and is of a type and quantity that may lead to malnutrition. At times, food is withheld as a punishment to counter complaints.