On Labor Day, Mayor Eric Garcetti proposed a gradual increase in the minimum wage from $9 per hour to $13.25 by 2017. Carwasheros applaud the Mayor’s efforts to put money into the pockets of hard-working people. Many families rely on the income of low-wage earners and a raise will make a significant difference in the day-to-day life of people who struggle to buy groceries and pay rent. However, many carwash workers in Los Angeles aren’t earning the current minimum wage of $9 per hour. Many workers have reported earning as little as $35 for a 10 or 12-hour day of work. We need a strong enforcement initiative at the city level to ensure workers who have faced wage theft receive their current wages and are guaranteed to see the wages that the Mayor is promising.

Los Angeles is the wage theft capital of the nation. If workers do not have the means to recoup all the wages they’ve earned, how can they expect to reap the benefits of the new minimum wage proposal? We must fast track a wage theft policy to ensure that it comes to fruition before or by the time the minimum wage increase takes effect. Without a wage theft police, workers will just see more money stolen from them.

Posted by Carwash Camp on Thursday, September 25th, 2014 @ 2:54PM
Categories: Blogs
Tags: Wage Theft