QUEENS, N.Y. — After recent battles between carwash workers and employees in New York, there’s now proposed legislation to require carwashes to get licensed to operate, according to the New York Daily News.
City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito introduced the bill on Wednesday. It would require that carwashes get a license every year, and follow environmental and labor laws.
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The measure had been brought up under the last administration, but is now being proposed again.
There have been two recent controversies involving carwashes in New York. Both centered on worker treatment and wages. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced last week that wash owner John Lage would pay $3.9 million for labor violations and unpaid time. Another wash owner, David Amar, agreed to union concessions after a prolonged fight.
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“It’s outrageous that anyone, especially a low-wage worker, is only now being paid wages that were earned as long as eight years ago,” said Mark-Viverito.
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