May 22, 2012
Car wash workers and the WASH New York Campaign rallied outside the LMC car wash in East Harlem on Thursday, May 17 to protest low wages and toxic working conditions while LMC’s owner John Lage resides comfortably in a lakeside mansion in Westchester County. According to the campaign, the workers earn only $5 an hour when they should be making minimum wage, and work 12 hours a day when it’s not raining. Because customer dollars are unpredictable due to the weather, Lage ensures his 21 car washes stay profitable with a $170,000 contract with the City to wash the City’s police cruisers. Apparently, that’s not enough for Lage, as he keeps one hand in the tip jar.
