LABOR BATTLE ON HORIZON

http://www.humanresourcesjournal.com/2012/03/labor-battle-on-horizon/

A first-of-its-kind investigative report has brought to light the widespread mistreatment of New York City’s car wash workers. The report called, “The Dirty Business of Cleaning NYC’s Cars” is compiled from a representative sampling of 89 car wash workers at 29 car washes around the city and was released by WASH New York (Workers Aligned for a Sustainable and Healthy New York) along with a broad coalition of car wash workers, elected officials, labor leaders, and activists. Fittingly, the report was unveiled in front of Metro Car Wash in Rego Park, Queens, a car wash exemplifying some of the worst practices in the industry.

A similar campaign in Los Angeles resulted in collective bargaining agreements between at least three car wash companies and their employees.

According to the report, unveiled on Tuesday, New York car wash workers are routinely denied overtime, exposed to toxic chemicals and receive less than minimum wages. Of the employees interviewed, none got sick time and only one was offered any sort of employer-sponsored health plan.

David de la Cruz Perez, a Guatemalan immigrant worked for five years at the Sutphin Boulevard Car Wash, but was refused sick pay when he broke his hand on the job and missed six months of work.

FULL story at link.