Your Bosses Will Work You 'Til You're In Your Graves, Part ...

We stoleran/linked an item on SoCal car washes last month. The NYT caught up yesterday. (OK, we've been napping & they caught us.)

In some ways, union leaders say, this campaign parallels previous ones in which unions organized thousands of immigrant janitors in Houston and Los Angeles and substantially lifted their wages.

In addition to adding members, the carwash campaign hopes to send a strong message to employers to stop taking advantage of workers in an industry where it is common practice.

California officials have estimated that two-thirds of the 500 carwashes in Los Angeles violate workplace laws. Many workers say they are paid just $35 for a 10-hour workday — less than half the minimum wage — and some say they are not paid for time during which no cars go through the wash. Others complain that they are not given gloves or goggles even though they often use stinging acids to clean tire rims.

Alternately: Why Illegal Immigration Will Never Be Stopped