Blip

About this episode

In the spring of 2008, the mostly immigrant car wash workers throughout Los Angeles formed the Carwash Workers Organizing Committee (CWOC) of the United Steelworkers (USW) to raise their standard of living, secure basic workplace protections and address the serious environmental and safety hazards in their industry. The city of Los Angeles has more car washes than any other metropolitan area in the country. A multi-million dollar industry, with a typical return on investment of more than 40 percent, car washes derive their profits largely from violations of workers’ rights. Car wash workers routinely work between 50 and 60 hours a week and average $12,500 a year with no benefits. The newly formed Community-Labor-Environmental-Action Network (CLEAN) Carwash Campaign, a coalition of community, religious, environmental and immigrant rights organizations, announced plans to support Los Angeles car wash workers' efforts to form a union with the United Steelworkers (USW). Their first action was an official boycott of carwashes owned by Benny Pirian and family members in the city of Los Angeles.

• Release Date

  Oct 27, 2008

• Runtime

  06:02