CLEAN Carwash Campaign Applauds California Labor Commissioner´s Efforts to Clean Up Carwash Industry
Labor Desk
May 07, 2009
Five Pirian Family-Owned Carwashes Investigated and Ordered to Discontinue Labor Violations.
Los Angeles — The Carwash Workers Organizing Committee of the United Steelworkers (CWOC-USW) and CLEAN — the Community, Labor, Environmental Action Network—welcome California Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet´s announcement this week that her office has issued more than $770,000 in fines to carwash owners throughout the state of California for numerous employment law violations.
The Labor Commissioner was enforcing the Carwash Worker Law—passed in 2003 and up for reauthorization this year—which requires all carwash operators to register with the state as a means to promote good labor practices and fair competition. "We are pleased that Commissioner Bradstreet is enforcing the Carwash Worker Law," said Danny Park, Executive Director of the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance and a member of CLEAN. "The sweeps have uncovered hundreds of violations in California´s carwash industry, including rampant failure to register with the state and failure to provide required Workers Compensation Insurance coverage for all employees. This is why it is essential for the California State Legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger to reauthorize the Car Wash Worker Law."
Among the 231 carwashes inspected on April 29 and 30 were five carwashes owned and/or operated by members of the Pirian family (that is, 5 out of the 33 Los Angeles County carwashes inspected): Celebrity Car Wash, Hollywood Car Wash, Lawndale Car Wash, Vermont Hand Wash, and Five Star Car Wash. According to Henry Huerta, Director of the CLEAN Carwash Campaign, "Pirian family-owned carwashes represent the worst practices in a very dirty industry. We are encouraged by the Labor Commissioner´s investigation of the Pirian´s operations. The business practices the DLSE and other administrative agencies have uncovered at Pirian carwashes endanger workers and create unfair competition for businesses that play by the rules." Inspectors issued "notices to discontinue" employment law violations at the five carwashes; and in the case of Vermont Hand Wash, the operator was issued a subpoena to appear at the Labor Commissioner´s office on May 12, 2009.
The Labor Commissioner´s investigations are only the latest enforcement action taken by government agencies against carwashes operated by Benny and/or Nisan Pirian. Last February, the two Pirian brothers and four of their carwash businesses were named in a 176-count criminal complaint by the Los Angeles City Attorney. A manager of one of the carwashes, Manuel Reyes, was also named in the complaint. Among the crimes alleged in the City Attorney´s complaint are grand theft of wages; intimidation of witnesses in a legal proceeding; and brandishing a deadly weapon.
Benny and Nisan Pirian are also named in a class-action lawsuit filed in May 2008 in Los Angeles Superior Court covering an estimated 250 current and former employees of four of their carwash businesses. The suit alleges the Pirians failed to pay minimum wage, failed to provide overtime pay, and denied meal and rest breaks during shifts, among other violations of state and federal law.
"But the Pirians are not the only ones who have used dirty business practices in the operation of their carwashes," added Huerta. "Carwash workers from all over Los Angeles County have reported similar treatment at the hands of unscrupulous employers."
Other Los Angeles area carwashes inspected in April have also been highlighted by CLEAN in recent months. Melrose Car Wash, which is owned by Jonathan Min Kim, was cited on April 29 for failing to provide Workers Compensation Insurance and failure to register with the state. The operator has been ordered to appear in court on May 7. In February, another Kim owned carwash, Auto Spa Express, was cited for several serious health and safety violations. And last fall, the City of Los Angeles cancelled its contract with Auto Spa Express to clean city vehicles because it found after an investigation that the company failed to pay the City´s required Living Wage to workers during the period of the contract.
Lilia Garcia, Executive Director of the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund and a member of CLEAN, said, "This enforcement action, in which only a small percentage of the more than 1,600 carwashes covered by the law were inspected, reveals that wage and hour and other labor law violations are rampant in this industry. Consistent and aggressive ongoing enforcement is needed to clean up this underground industry by local and state law enforcement agencies is crucial if we are going to stop rampant worker abuse in California carwashes."
For more information about the CLEAN Carwash Campaign, visit http://www.CleanCarwashLA.org.
Los Angeles — The Carwash Workers Organizing Committee of the United Steelworkers (CWOC-USW) and CLEAN — the Community, Labor, Environmental Action Network—welcome California Labor Commissioner Angela Bradstreet´s announcement this week that her office has issued more than $770,000 in fines to carwash owners throughout the state of California for numerous employment law violations.
The Labor Commissioner was enforcing the Carwash Worker Law—passed in 2003 and up for reauthorization this year—which requires all carwash operators to register with the state as a means to promote good labor practices and fair competition. "We are pleased that Commissioner Bradstreet is enforcing the Carwash Worker Law," said Danny Park, Executive Director of the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance and a member of CLEAN. "The sweeps have uncovered hundreds of violations in California´s carwash industry, including rampant failure to register with the state and failure to provide required Workers Compensation Insurance coverage for all employees. This is why it is essential for the California State Legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger to reauthorize the Car Wash Worker Law."
Among the 231 carwashes inspected on April 29 and 30 were five carwashes owned and/or operated by members of the Pirian family (that is, 5 out of the 33 Los Angeles County carwashes inspected): Celebrity Car Wash, Hollywood Car Wash, Lawndale Car Wash, Vermont Hand Wash, and Five Star Car Wash. According to Henry Huerta, Director of the CLEAN Carwash Campaign, "Pirian family-owned carwashes represent the worst practices in a very dirty industry. We are encouraged by the Labor Commissioner´s investigation of the Pirian´s operations. The business practices the DLSE and other administrative agencies have uncovered at Pirian carwashes endanger workers and create unfair competition for businesses that play by the rules." Inspectors issued "notices to discontinue" employment law violations at the five carwashes; and in the case of Vermont Hand Wash, the operator was issued a subpoena to appear at the Labor Commissioner´s office on May 12, 2009.
The Labor Commissioner´s investigations are only the latest enforcement action taken by government agencies against carwashes operated by Benny and/or Nisan Pirian. Last February, the two Pirian brothers and four of their carwash businesses were named in a 176-count criminal complaint by the Los Angeles City Attorney. A manager of one of the carwashes, Manuel Reyes, was also named in the complaint. Among the crimes alleged in the City Attorney´s complaint are grand theft of wages; intimidation of witnesses in a legal proceeding; and brandishing a deadly weapon.
Benny and Nisan Pirian are also named in a class-action lawsuit filed in May 2008 in Los Angeles Superior Court covering an estimated 250 current and former employees of four of their carwash businesses. The suit alleges the Pirians failed to pay minimum wage, failed to provide overtime pay, and denied meal and rest breaks during shifts, among other violations of state and federal law.
"But the Pirians are not the only ones who have used dirty business practices in the operation of their carwashes," added Huerta. "Carwash workers from all over Los Angeles County have reported similar treatment at the hands of unscrupulous employers."
Other Los Angeles area carwashes inspected in April have also been highlighted by CLEAN in recent months. Melrose Car Wash, which is owned by Jonathan Min Kim, was cited on April 29 for failing to provide Workers Compensation Insurance and failure to register with the state. The operator has been ordered to appear in court on May 7. In February, another Kim owned carwash, Auto Spa Express, was cited for several serious health and safety violations. And last fall, the City of Los Angeles cancelled its contract with Auto Spa Express to clean city vehicles because it found after an investigation that the company failed to pay the City´s required Living Wage to workers during the period of the contract.
Lilia Garcia, Executive Director of the Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund and a member of CLEAN, said, "This enforcement action, in which only a small percentage of the more than 1,600 carwashes covered by the law were inspected, reveals that wage and hour and other labor law violations are rampant in this industry. Consistent and aggressive ongoing enforcement is needed to clean up this underground industry by local and state law enforcement agencies is crucial if we are going to stop rampant worker abuse in California carwashes."
For more information about the CLEAN Carwash Campaign, visit http://www.CleanCarwashLA.org.
Print
Email
