LA Asian Community-Labor Groups Join Campaign against the Carwash Industry

by Tracker

A coalition of labor, community, religious, and immigrant rights organizations have announced a campaign to "clean up" Los Angeles' multimillion dollar carwash industry today. They have already organized a number of demonstrations to demand changes in the industry. The Community-Labor-Environmental Action Network (CLEAN) is supporting the union organizing efforts of the Carwash Workers Organizing Committee of the United Steelworkers (CWOC). The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance and Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance have joined labor unions, Latino and other community groups, and progressive lawyers association to wage the campaign.

The CWOC released a report that confirms recent newspaper reports that Los Angeles carwash owners often operate below the radar of labor, health and safety, and environmental laws. According to the report, carwashes use highly toxic chemicals throughout the cleaning process, including benzene, zinc, hydrogen fluoride, and other metals and acids.   Workers are regularly exposed to these chemicals, which is used to pre-soak and shampoo the cars.   Many workers do not have access to protective equipment such as gloves, boots, goggles, or face masks.   And many have not been trained in the use of hazardous materials as required by law. Furthermore, m any have to work long hours in a high heat climate, with no lunch break, no fresh water to drink and risk getting sick by being exposed constantly to such chemicals. A Los Angeles Times investigation found that hand car washes "often brazenly violate basic labor and immigration laws, with little risk of penalty" and employees at a fifth of Southern California's carwashes in the last five years have formally accused owners of illegally underpaying them.

Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farmworkers, said,

Car wash workers are the urban farm workers. They work in the hot sun, stooped over cars for 10 hours a day. Every day they work with dangerous chemicals that threaten their health and threaten our precious earth. Many work for illegally low wages or no wages at all, surviving only on tips. They are treated like dirty rags by abusive bosses who only care about profits. We will not let such injustice stand!

Feliciano Hernandez, a car wash worker for more than 40 years, says the workers will gain respect with a union:

I am 63 years old now. I can tell you, it's gotten much worse for the workers over the years. The boss used to pay us for all the hours we worked and for the overtime too. I could support my family working in a car wash back then. Now I have to work odd jobs in order to pay my rent and for gas and other bills. We used to get breaks for lunch and to take a rest. No more. Now it seems we just work for hours with no breaks and no water, even on the hottest days. And, in the end, the boss shorts our paychecks. I'm organizing with the union because I see how they treat these younger folks. The boss has no respect for us. We work hard and we don't deserve to be treated like animals.  

The campaign has targeted shops operated by Bennie Pirian, an owner of multiple Los Angeles area carwashes.   According to union representatives, Pirian represents the worst of the industry, and it's no coincidence that CLEAN has focused on cleaning up Pirian's operations first.   Workers described having their pay shorted and being forced to work without protective gear.   Workers are routinely fingerprinted before receiving their paychecks. Los Angeles has more car washes--430--than any other metropolitan area in the country, bringing in an average about $1 million gross annual income. The campaign has asked the public not to patronize "dirty" carwashes. ?