The Los Angeles City Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution offering the city's assistance to mediate a labor dispute between carwash owners and their workers.
Some carwash workers have recently organized under the guidance of the United Steelworkers Union and are demanding adequate pay and better working conditions. After voicing their support for the workers, council members voted to offer City Hall as a neutral negotiating site for any labor talks.
"We want to get results," said Councilman Ed Reyes, who co-sponsored the resolution with Councilman Eric Garcetti. "We have human beings being treated as pieces of furniture; that should not be allowed."
A Times investigation of carwashes in the state's southernmost counties, which was published in March, found that many owners failed to pay even half the minimum wage and that workers were not adequately protected from hazardous chemicals. Two-thirds of those inspected by the state's labor department since 2003 were out of compliance with one or more labor laws.
The council also ordered an inquiry to determine whether the city had any contracts with disreputable carwashes to clean city vehicles.
phil.willon@latimes.com
