Monday, September 10, 2012

There Is Hope

 

Workers at a Queens car wash became the first in the city to unionize this weekend, hoping to combat what they say are low pay and poor working conditions.

Immigrant “carwasheros” at Hi-Tek Car Wash & Lube Inc. in Elmhurst voted 21 to 5 Saturday to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.

“This is a huge victory for us,” said Tara Martin, a spokesperson for the labor group.

Workers who voted for the union said they want better wages and steady hours in an industry where car wash managers often send them home without pay on slow days.

How socialist, to expect a day's wages for being available to work but not needed.

Employers could consider this a reservation fee: workers forgo other opportunities to accept employment with a firm. That firm can, as indicated above, simply refuse to let workers work, thus saving the money without appropriately compensating the workers for merely beign available to work.

Union now, union forever.