Carwash workers celebrate union contract

By Sam Quinones, Los Angeles Times

October 26, 2011

For years, workers at the Bonus Car Wash in Santa Monica, like those in many of the carwashes that Southern Californians frequent, had a familiar routine. They showed up when the boss told them to — but couldn't clock in until customers arrived.

Then, the California attorney general filed a suit last year against the business, demanding $6 million in back wages for workers, as well as fines and penalties. Such exploitative practices, the authorities said, were common in an industry that often pays less than minimum wage and, in some cases, forces workers to live on tips.

And on Tuesday, the Bonus Car Wash workers celebrated a victory.

Labor leaders announced that workers at the Lincoln Boulevard carwash have become the first in Southern California to unionize.

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Carwash workers celebrate union contract