Los Angeles carwash workers file living wage complaint

Labor leaders, who are more than a year into an effort to unionize carwash workers, held a press conference at City Hall to announce the filing of the complaint.

They said workers had seen city cars being washed at Auto Spa Express, at the corner of Alvarado Street and Sunset Boulevard, and wondered whether the ordinance would apply.

City officials confirmed that the city has a three-year contract with the carwash and that payments exceeded $25,000 in 2006, triggering the living wage law, which requires that workers receive at least $11.25 an hour, said Chloe Osmer, of the CLEAN carwash campaign.

In his complaint, former worker Jose Eduardo Gonzalez said that he was paid $56 per 10- to 12-hour day he worked--an average of $5.09 an hour -- although his paycheck reflected seven hours at $8 an hour.

Alexandro Herrera, manager of Auto Spa, said he pays workers the minimum wage. He was unaware of the complaints or of living wage requirements.

Earlier this year, The Times investigated carwashes and found they often brazenly violate basic labor and immigration laws with little risk of penalty. At least half were found to violate minimum-wage laws. Many workers across the county said they were paid only tips to work at the facilities.

evelyn.larrubia@latimes.com