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

by Tracker
4/23/08

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.

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