NYC CAR WASH WORKERS, RWDSU & COMMUNITY ADVOCATES STAGE CITYWIDE PROTEST
Sat, Jul 13, 2013 at 10:30 AM
NYC car wash workers will join with activists from Make the Road NY (MRNY), New York Communities for Change (NYCC) and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) for a citywide protest on SATURDAY, JULY 13TH calling on NY’s car wash kingpin John Lage to improve working conditions and negotiate a fair contract with workers.
WHERE & WHEN:
10:30am: Rico Pobre Car Wash (1440 Westchester Avenue, Bronx)
1:00pm: Jomar Car Wash (57-34 Main St., Flushing, Queens)
John Lage, often cited as the biggest car wash operator in the City, has become notorious for violating wage laws and poor safety conditions in many of his car wash locations. Many of the employees working for Lage’s owned or operated car washes struggle to survive and support their families on the wages his companies pay. Their schedules are extremely erratic and unpredictable and workers are worried about their health and safety as they can be exposed to strong chemicals and do not have the protective gear that they should. To combat this abuse, the WASH NY campaign was created to help give workers a voice on the job and fix unfair conditions. The WASH NY campaign was launched as a joint effort of New York Communities for Change and Make the Road New York and supported by the RWDSU.
Many workers have stood up against this mistreatment by voting to join the RWDSU. Six car washes across the city have voted to join for union representation since last September and two of them, Hi-Tek Wash & Lube in East Elmhurst and Sunny Day Car Wash in the Bronx just ratified their first union contract, the first car wash pact east of Los Angeles. Four of the six unionized locations are owned by John Lage.
The WASH NY campaign and the RWDSU decry the unfair, harsh and anti-union proposals which Lage has made at the bargaining table. Lage’s car wash workers are asking for basic respect and dignity on the job, and community leaders are coming together to push the car wash owner to do the right thing!