Hidden in the shadows is a Latino workforce who feels they have no voice. A means to keep an arms-length from these workers, temporary and sub-contracted work offers little protections and few legal obligations by employers. But workers do have a voice, and together they are empowering one another and making noise to move progress forward.

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ABOUT THE FILM

No Somos Máquinas: We are Not Machines has been created in partnership with National Employment Law Project (NELP) and Silent Sea Productions.  The film provides insight into the abuses and mistreatment of temporary workers, sub-contracted construction workers, and janitorial and domestic workers in New Jersey. Seeking to define itself as a new kind of union that educates, organizes, and advocates for workers without typical job protections, New Labor empowers disenfranchised laborers to become leaders who fight for progressive action.
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No Somos Máquinas follows the staff of New Labor and many members as they share their stories of abuse and disillusionment and their evolution into empowered, knowledgeable individuals who are aware of their rights and demanding equity. The film highlights these transformations and details the methods the worker organization employs to build strong organizers and leaders. From here, we see grassroots strength enacting change at the personal, local, and state level.

Well, who’s at fault is all three: the government, the big enterprises, and the agencies. The agencies because they’re exploiting us. The big enterprises because they use the agencies. And the agencies because they look for us to have cheap labor. And the big enterprises can have more earnings.”
– Former Temp Agency Worker and Organizer
New Brunswick
Lots of things happen in factories especially in the name of saving time and hitting production numbers. When machines broke down I would go and fix them, risking losing my hand or something like that. There are lots of odd occurrences in factories and I lived some of those occurrences.”
– Former Temp Agency Worker and Organizer
Newark
Not even the bosses, they don’t even know how we’re working. They don’t know what it takes to get the products out for them. And there’s many people they say when they get to the stores ‘Oh, this product.’ They don’t know exactly how that product got to that store. That product got there because many people were injured, paid poorly, humiliated a lot and many things that cannot be described because of awful things that have happened.”
– Temp Agency Worker
New Jersey
Sometimes there is a lot of abuse, and the person stays quiet. They don’t speak about the problem one might have, or the problems that are in that company because of being scared or having fear. Or, many times they threaten you, the agencies themselves.”
– Temp Agency Worker

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Founded in 1969, the National Employment Law Project (NELP) is a nonprofit advocacy organization dedicated to building a just and inclusive economy where all workers have expansive rights and thrive in good jobs. Together with local, state, and national partners, NELP advances its mission through transformative legal and policy solutions, research, capacity-building, and communications. Learn more at www.nelp.org

Founded in 2000, New Labor is an organization that educates, organizes, and fights for better work conditions and social justice in the workplace. With a base of around 4,000 members, and centers in New Brunswick, Lakewood, and Newark, New Jersey, New Labor organizes to empower members and amplify their voices in the community, workplace, and political realm. New Labor is a 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at www.newlabor.org

Silent Sea Productions is a full-service film and video production company that cultivates brand development through TV commercial production and promotional marketing videos, as well as captivates audiences with narrative and documentary film. Established in 2002, Silent Sea Productions has a consistent track record of delivering award-winning films and videos that intrigue audiences and boost brand awareness. Learn more at www.silentseaproductions.com

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