California Fines Carwashes $700,000

http://blog.aflcio.org/2010/05/25/california-fines-carwashes-700000/

Chloe Osmer of the Community-Labor-Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) Carwash Campaign reports on a series of enforcement actions last week by California’s Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet at more than 200 carwash operations in the state.



he California labor commissioner’s office investigated 247 carwashes in California, including nearly 50 in Los Angeles County alone. The businesses include carwashes that the CLEAN Carwash Campaign had reported to the state as having potential wage-and-hour violations based on complaints from workers.

The actions, which resulted in more than $700,000 in fines to the carwashes, made it clear that the carwash industry continues to violate even the most basic laws protecting workers. The industry’s widespread problems with compliance highlight the need for workers to have a union to help enforce standards in their workplace.

For example, workers from A Moment’s Notice Car Wash in Los Angeles came to the campaign with reports that they were being paid $50 per day, although they worked between 10 and 12 hours per day. The workers said they were paid in cash and were not given lunch breaks, rest breaks or payment for overtime. Workers also told the CLEAN Campaign the owner of the carwash had threatened to call immigration officials or fire workers if they took legal action to recover their stolen wages.

Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet fined A Moment’s Notice $16,000 for failure to carry workers’ compensation insurance and failure to register with the state under The Carwash Worker Law. However, the carwash was not cited for violation of minimum wage and overtime laws, and no wages were recovered for workers.

FULL story at link.

back when I was a teen in the early 70's working in a drive through car wash was work we did as teenagers to start learning to work, or donut shops etc, not considered full time employment that we should live on. I worked on a commercial fishing boat to learn how to work, for some it became a life skill for teens like me it was learning what work was, what was expected of me etc. Now these jobs are used as survival jobs. It is unbelievable that these jobs are now considered family supporting jobs.

immigrants working, they're getting underpaid and screwed over. I HATE those f**king people that f**k over their workers!