City Council Aims to Clean Up New York City's Car Washes
City Council Aims to Clean Up New York City's Car Washes
Councilwoman says working conditions at city car washes must be improved.
The New York City Council is looking to clean up the city's car wash industry.
City Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito announced the Car Wash Accountability Act Wednesday. Currently, city car washes are unregulated, and don't require a license to operate. Mark-Viverito says this leads to hazardous working conditions and unfair wages.
"There have been reports by the Department of Labor that have documented the number of labor violations against workers," she says, "We need to have these owners be accountable and be responsible."
Adan Nicholas, a car wash worker from Astoria, says he makes less than minimum wage and doesn't receive any tips.
"Two times a week they make us sign a paper declaring that we make $20-$25 a day in tips," he says speaking through an english translator, "but it's not true."
The act will require car washes to get a license from the city in order to operate.
