L.A. Schools Approve Resolution to Use CLEAN Carwashes
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Chloe Osmer of the Clean Carwash Campaign in Los Angeles reports on a resolution that is the first in the country by the Los Angeles Unified School District to only use carwashes that agree to respect workers’ rights and the environment.
The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) board passed a resolution yesterday calling for the district to wash its huge fleet of vehicles only at carwashes that have signed the CLEAN Agreement, which commits the companies to abide by minimum employment, health and safety and environmental standards and to respect workers’ right to join a union.
Dozens of carwash workers, including those with children in the Los Angeles public schools, students and their community allies were on hand to support the resolution, which is the first of its kind in the nation. The Los Angeles City Council also is currently considering a similar resolution.
Permanent California Carwash Worker Law Takes Step Forward
The effort to bring justice to Southern California car wash workers took a step forward this week when a state legislative committee voted to renew the Golden State’s “Carwash Worker Law” after hearing from a Los Angeles car wash worker who testified about conditions on the job. The 6-1 vote in the Committee on Labor and Employment sends the bill (AB 236) to the Committee on Appropriations. If Appropriations approves, the bill will move to a floor vote.
Manuel Zuniga described for the committee the conditions at the Florence Car Wash in Los Angeles, where he worked for more than three years until he was fired last December after filing a claim with the state regarding stolen wages.
Zuniga told the committee he worked 10- and 11-hour days and was only paid between $35 and $48 per day. The state’s minimum wage is $8 per hour, and any hours worked in excess of eight must be paid at time and a half. Zuniga said:
I have a wife and children who need my support. I cannot pay for life’s necessities on those wages. There was so much injustice in our workplace. Some of my co-workers worked for tips only, getting no wages at all. Many times, the boss would not let us take breaks to rest or eat meals.
Carwash Campaign Highlights Success of Community-Labor Teamwork
One of the best ways for unions to reach out to new groups of workers is by joining with community-based worker centers across the country—and the campaign to gain better working conditions for carwash workers in Los Angeles recently has done just that, according to several union leaders involved in the campaign.
AFL-CIO General Counsel Jon Hiatt, speaking at a brown bag discussion yesterday at the AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C., said worker centers and unions have a lot in common. They both fight for enforcement of wage and hour laws, oppose misclassification of workers and they fight for immigrant rights. Hiatt says:
We have the experience, the expertise. Worker centers have a strong community base. Bringing the two movements together is good for workers. A few years ago, I couldn’t imagine local or national unions would be working so closely with worker centers.
