Since my junior year in high school, I have been working in the same local supermarket. My main job.

Since my junior year in high school, I have been working in
the same local supermarket. My main job was for me to get the bread set up
ready before the following day. After working in the bakery for quite some
time, I began to notice the difference between how I have been treated compared
to other co-workers. At first, I didn’t notice the differences but as time
passed I saw how they were making me do work that others in my department have
never done. For example, the manager of the store realized that the ceiling of
the bakery department was dirty and had accumulated pesticides. He told me
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Since my junior year in high school, I have been working in
the same local supermarket. My main job was for me to get the bread set up
ready before the following day. After working in the bakery for quite some
time, I began to notice the difference between how I have been treated compared
to other co-workers. At first, I didn’t notice the differences but as time
passed I saw how they were making me do work that others in my department have
never done. For example, the manager of the store realized that the ceiling of
the bakery department was dirty and had accumulated pesticides. He told me to
go up and clean the ceiling; he gave me no mask to protect myself from the
pesticides. He just told me to go up and use Windex and clean the ceiling. I
was hesitant at first but I completed the task without asking why. At the time,
I was still new so I didn’t want to mention anything to my boss so I just did
as I was told.

                Now as this continued to happen I asked my
coworkers, who were white, if they were ever told to complete this task. They
all answered saying that none of them have ever been told to clean the ceiling
and don’t know of anyone in the store who has. They couldn’t believe that I was
cleaning the ceilings full of pesticides. For the past four years, they have
been making me do this and it’s not my job to do so. For this job, they should
be hiring a cleaning crew to come in at night and clean the store. So I asked
another Latino in the store who has been working there for more than ten years
how he is treated. He answered saying that they have asked him do things around
the store that aren’t under his job description as well. Over the years, I’ve
seen that the manager feels like it is okay for me to clean the ceilings even
though that can potentially harm my health. It is not only happening to me but
other Hispanic employees as well. However, I try to be a good employee and listen.
The same is true for the other Latinos in the store who have not said anything
to the manager and continue to perform these tasks.

If it is, what should I do next? This job is important to me
and I don’t want to lose it.

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