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CARWASHERXS RISING


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CARWASHERXS RISING


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CLEAN is the country’s first carwash worker center, transforming the lives of thousands of carwasherxs, in one of Los Angeles’ most exploitative industries - hand wash car washes.

 In LA County, an estimated 500 carwashes employ around 10,000 carwasherxs. Car washes are a part of the vast underground economy in car-centric cities across California. Many car washes fail to follow basic labor, health, and safety laws. Long hours in the heat, abrasive and toxic chemicals, and no drinking water or refusal of rest breaks are commonplace in car wash businesses. Carwasherxs, or car wash workers, are rarely paid the minimum wage. Many also report working solely for tips -- a flagrant violation of local and federal labor laws. Despite this increasingly hostile environment, carwasherxs are fighting resiliently to change the industry for good. 

Through direct organizing at CLEAN, carwasherxs lead outreach and advocacy efforts around job safety, workplace hazards, wage and hour laws, environmental protection, and community health initiatives. CLEAN unites carwasherxs to a growing and innovative worker center movement whose aim is to improve the quality of life for all Angelenos.

Since CLEAN’s foundation in 2007, carwasherxs helped spur one-of-a-kind professional development opportunities for the carwash industry, won the right to millions of backpay, passed the Car Wash Worker Law, and helped incubate the first car wash co-op in the country. 

 
 

CLEAN is a grassroots worker center that empowers carwasherxs, carwash workers, to make lasting changes in the carwash industry and in their communities. With over a decade of history in Los Angeles, CLEAN fights for the self-determination of immigrant and working-class people. CLEAN’s carwash worker base represents one of the largest, lowest-paid, and most vulnerable in a highly exploitative service industry. CLEAN’s mission of social change and worker empowerment is fulfilled through grassroots organizing, strategic outreach, skills-building workshops, and civic action. Through direct organizing, carwasherxs lead outreach and advocacy efforts around job safety, workplace hazards, wage and hour rights, environmental protection, and community health initiatives.

 

Founded in 2007, CLEAN Carwash Worker Center has 14 years of experience building carwasherx power and leadership. As the first carwash worker center in Los Angeles, and the country, CLEAN fights to shed light on the exploitative car wash industry and center those at the heart of these operations - the carwasherxs.

As of 2013, CLEAN is a fully independent worker center with a steadfast commitment to radical social change through grassroots organizing. In that time, CLEAN passed the Carwash Worker Law, founded the CleanWash Mobile LLC, a carwash cooperative, and established a one-of-a-kind peer training auto detail program. Simultaneously, our robust carwasherx leadership development program has supported CLEAN members to take on roles as workplace organizers to address safety, health, and labor protections at carwashes. Carwasherxs recently conducted, vital COVID-19 community health outreach in partnership with Los Angeles County distributing PPE kits, guides on effective protective measures, and helping community members in hard-struck areas like South LA get vaccinated.

CLEAN began as a joint campaign with the United Steel Workers Local 675 (USW 675). In our first six years, we supported efforts to organize the first carwash in U.S. history and helped USW 675 achieve 50 union shops at their organizing peak. We continue to build power in a unique community-worker center model that strengthens organizing inside and outside the workplace.

 


Some of our accomplishments include:

  • An Innovative Organizing Model: CLEAN Carwash Worker Center bridges community organizing, worker centers, and elements of traditional labor unions to form a powerful hybrid organization that prioritizes radical social change.

  • Carwash Worker Law: In 2014, CLEAN won the permanent enactment of the Car Wash Worker Law (AB 1387) which created a restitution fund for carwasherxs - a unique accomplishment for the industry. Currently, restitutions funds in California only exist only for the car wash, garment, and agricultural industries. This creates a statewide mechanism for carwasherxs who’ve experienced wage theft to seek their owed wages with support from the state of California.

  • Detail Program: Our peer training program is one-of-a-kind in the carwash industry. It is here carwasherxs with decades of experience train their peers in auto detailing. CLEAN carwasherxs develop and utilize their own curriculum, building together from their varied expertise in the hand car wash industry. These skills help carwasherxs obtain higher-paying skills like buffing, waxing, polishing, claying, and interior steam cleaning. New carwash workers after often denied on-the-job training by owners. This program serves as a career leader and an opportunity for professional development in a supportive, worker-led environment.

  • Carwash Co-Op: When the CLEAN carwash worker center was established members led the creation of a robust, one-of-a-kind detail program. From the detail program emerged a cohort of CLEAN carwasherxs who were inspired to start their own car wash. Together, they built the first carwash worker co-op, CleanWash Mobile LLC. Although COVID-19 significantly delayed the opening of CleanWash Mobile LLC, the co-op remains active and its development is supported through the incubation of the CLEAN Carwash Worker Center. Carwasherxs are planning a tentative soft launch in Summer 2021! Stay tuned for more details.

  • $2.4 Million Citation Against the Playa Vista Carwash: After a multi-year investigation and the brave leadership of carwasherxs, the Playa Vista Carwash (Culver City, CA) was cited $2.4 million dollars for massive violations of minimum wage and overtime laws. To date this the largest citation against a carwash business in the State of California and would not have been possible without the organizing of CLEAN. Read the LA Times Story

 
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STAND WITH CARWASHERXS


STAND WITH CARWASHERXS


Car wash members listening at a meeting

CLEAN's detail program helps workers learn skills to further their careers and gain better pay!

 

Your support protects the rights of carwasherxs to a fair and safe workplace.

 
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OUR FUNDERS


OUR FUNDERS


We thank our community supporters as well as the following foundations for sustaining our work: National Employment Law Project, Unitarian Universalist Veatch Program at Shelter Rock, The Liberty Hill Foundation, Weingart Foundation, Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Tides Foundation, Prevention Institute, CA Community Foundation, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Community Partners, Omidyar Network, and Employment Training Panel.