Minimum Wage vs. the Carwasheros: New York's new $15 wage floor pits man against machine.

Reason ^ | June 9, 2016 | Jim Epstein

[C19fan]

Labor activists have long claimed that working conditions at New York City's car washes are the worst of the worst. In the Big Apple, an estimated 5,000 men scrub and vacuum other people's vehicles for a living. A decade ago, it was common for these so-called carwasheros, many of whom are illegal immigrants from Mexico and Latin America, to earn $3 per hour plus tips, with no extra pay for overtime. Straight cash, off the books.

When demand peaked in the winter months, they would often put in 12 hours a day, six days a week. Regulators paid little attention, so by and large car wash operators ignored labor laws.

[C19fan]

I remember how shocked I was when seeing how labor intensive and cheap car washes were in SoCal. This is from someone moving from the NE Corridor out West. My wife experienced the opposite when she moved from West to East. She went to a full service wash thinking this was still CA. The costs were two to three times as much and the quality of the work was abysmal. I do the automated wash and self vacuum route living back in the East.

[tbw2]

You’ll see more “washeros” and more automation to offset the $15 minimum wage.

[bgill]

A decade ago, I was subbing at $5/hr with no tips or overtime so didn’t have the money to have my car washed by anyone but myself. No sympathy for any of those crimillegals.

January can’t come quick enough. Fine their employers and deport them back where they came from.

[dfwgator]

You might not ever get rich, ha Let me tell you it’s better than digging a ditch

[Blue Jays]

If I were a recent-hire illegal immigrant...the LAST thing that I would want is greater focus on me on the overall radar screen of life.

This ridiculous notion of $15.00/hour for every entry-level gig out there will push MANY out of work as employers migrate to automation and self-serve options.

Mark my words that a typical fast-food restaurant can essentially be made self-opening, self-cooking, self-cleaning, and self-closing within the next five years. That technology will not be difficult at all.

[glorgau]

Car Wash Blues - Little Ed and the Blues Imperials.

Little Ed played the best slide guitar this side of Muddy Waters.

[BenLurkin]

Saw what you did there....

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Take a look at the videos of fights erupting among the employees at a McDonalds. I don't need to buy food that has been prepared by such people. Automation will improve the quality and consistency of food, and will probably reduce the incidence of contamination, and may reduce the cost. What's the problem with that?

[Blue Jays]

"...What's the problem with that?..."

---

Absolutely nothing!
I similarly do not wish my food touched by anyone glaring at me with hate-filled eyes, flaring nostrils, and seething anger...just because I entered the food establishment where they collect a paycheck.
It is insane what is observed these days.

This is one of the reasons I prefer to visit Chik-Fil-A if on the road and need a quick and reasonably healthy meal.
Those kids they hire are SO nice and courteous.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

The increase in the minimum wage has a direct relationship to the increase in illegal immigration - the cheap labor express. More and more of that end of the economy goes black, off the books, with illegals providing the labor well under the legal minimum.

[LostPassword]

Minimum wage is still $0. That gap between the minimum and what an employer is allowed to pay is $15.

The gap between the minimum, $0, and what it costs an employer to hire you is actually over $20 (this was in 2010)

Instead of asking "do I deserve $15/hour" a lot of people should be asking "am I worth $20/hour"

[heartwood]

Glad I never got my car washed commercially, because I didn’t know there was a tip-dependent wage.

Ten years after my children went to a local summer camp, I found out from a teenager who was a counselor there that he had earned way under minimum wage - the camp had told us nothing about tips being part of the counselors’ wages, and the counselors weren’t allowed to say anything. It was the most expensive day camp around, too.

Anyone know what other occupations are tip-dependent, that is, it is legal for the employer to pay less than minimum wage?

[tbw2]

We’ll see a return of the automat, but without even the cooks behind the little doors.
It will be factory made food stuffed in vending machines for one to buy on demand, with a few items made by one or two cooks in the back like French fries. You’ll see another one or two housekeeping people to clean up after customers.
And the average restaurant will go from 15-20 staff on shift to 4-5.

[markoman]

Automated restaurants aren’t a new idea.I believe they started in Europe in the 1940’s.
I remember going to a local (Boston area) chain called Hayes and Bickfords in the 1960’s.

The question I have is, if the minimum wage is driving businesses toward automation, wouldn’t they have done it already?

[Red Badger]

Jim Croce

Workin’ At The Car Wash Blues

Well, I had just got out from the county prison
Doin’ ninety days for non-support
Tried to find me an executive position
But no matter how smooth I talked

They wouldn’t listen to the fact that I was a genius
The man say, “We got all that we can use.”
Now I got them steadily depressin’, low down mind messin’
Working at the car wash blues

Well, I should be sittin’ in an air conditioned office in a swivel chair
Talkin’ some trash to the secretaries
Sayin’, “Here, now mama, come on over here.”
Instead, I’m stuck here rubbin’ these fenders with a rag

And walkin’ home in soggy old shoes
With them steadily depressin’, low down mind messin’
Workin’ at the car wash blues
You know a man of my ability

He should be smokin’ on a big cigar
But till I get myself straight I guess I’ll just have to wait
In my rubber suit a-rubbin’ these cars
Well, all I can do is a shake my head

You might not believe that it’s true
For workin’ at this end of Niagara Falls
Is an undiscovered Howard Hughes
So baby, don’t expect to see me

With no double martini in any high-brow society news
Cause I got them steadily depressin’, low down mind messin’
Workin’ at the car wash blues
So baby, don’t expect to see me

With no double martini in any high-brow society news
‘Cause I got them steadily depressin’, low down mind messin’
Workin’ at the car wash blues
Yeah I got them steadily depressin’, low down mind messin’
Workin’ at the car wash blues

Songwriters: Croce, James
Workin’ At The Car Wash Blues lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC

[Graybeard58]

Anyone know what other occupations are tip-dependent, that is, it is legal for the employer to pay less than minimum wage?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Waiters and waitresses usually are paid less than minimum wage. In some cases the employee has to pay the employer to work at his place of business. Think strip joints.

[Red Badger]

ROSE ROYCE
“Car Wash”

ooooh...
You might not ever get rich
But let me tell you it’s better than digging a ditch
There ain’t no telling who you might meet
A moviestar or maybe even an Indian chief

Working at the car wash
Working at the car wash, yeah
Come on and sing it with me, car wash
Sing it with the feeling now, car wash yeah

Come some of the work get’s kind of hard
This ain’t no place to be if you planned on being a star
Let me tell you it’s always cool
And the boss don’t mind sometimes if you act a fool

At the car wash, woooh
Talking about the car wash, yeah
Come on y’all and sing it for me
Car wash, woh, car wash yeah

(Work and work) Well those cars never seem to stop coming
(Work and work) Keep those waxin’ machines humming
(Work and work) My fingers to the bone
(Work and work) Keep up, I can’t wait till it’s time to go home

Hey, get your car washed today
Be in our band, you don’t have to pay
Come on and give us a play

Car wash
Talking about the car wash yeah
Car wash yeah
Come on y’all and sing it with me
Car wash
Sing it with feeling
Car wash yeah [Repeat till fade]

Wowowoh
Those cars never seem to stop coming
Keeps those rags and machines coming
Let me tell you it’s always cool,
And the boss don’t mind sometimes if you, act the fool

[dfwgator]

Good times.

[billyboy15]

Necessity is the mother of invention.

[gigster]

The 1976 movie was better.