Councilmembers Lander & Menchaca Arrested During Car Wash Workers Protest
Two local City Councilmembers were arrested yesterday while protesting alongside car wash employees who are part of an ongoing strike, demanding back pay and overtime wages.
Workers at the Vegas Auto Spa (555 7th Avenue at 19th Street) first brought a lawsuit against
owner Marat Leshehinsky this past fall, saying $600,000 is due to make up for not paying minimum wage or overtime. Several protests and marches have taken place in the past few months, and the most recent, on Wednesday, drew many supporters — including Councilmembers Brad Lander and Carlos Menchaca — who blocked the entrance to the car wash, which resulted in their arrests for civil disobedience.
“They aren’t demanding anything extravagant,” Lander wrote following the arrest, his fourth (the others were for similar civil disobedience incidents). “Even with a contract, these will still be low-wage jobs. They just want – no, they just insist – on being treated like human beings, with some basic dignity.
“After seeing the carwasheros newly-formed union denied, their conditions worsen, and their presence day-in-and-day-out at the picket lines throughout a freezing cold winter, I can no longer remain on the sidelines,” he continued.
Like Lander, Menchaca says he’s willing to stand up for these, and other, workers who may be treated unfairly.
“We believe that real power belongs to us, the people – el pueblo. Bad actors believe that they can ‘wait it out’, but today they saw first hand that there is no waiting for justice,” Menchaca wrote on Facebook. “It is unacceptable that in New York City, under our very noses, bad business owners are creating unsafe spaces for workers and not allowing for full dignity with fair wages and medical benefits. We organize and participate in actions like this to end regressive businesses practices.”
Workers at the Vegas Auto Spa have joined with those at seven other car washes around the city to form a union, which owner Leshehinsky told the Observer he understands and is working with them on it.
“We’re negotiating a contract,” he said. “What they’re asking for and what I’ve offered them are very fair terms.”