Cuomo Orders Emergency Measures to Protect Workers at Nail Salons

New York Times ^ | MAY 11, 2015 | By SARAH MASLIN NIR

[Brad from Tennessee]

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ordered emergency measures on Sunday to combat the wage theft and health hazards faced by the thousands of people who work in New York State’s nail salon industry.

Effective immediately, he said in a statement, a new, multiagency task force will conduct salon-by-salon investigations, institute new rules that salons must follow to protect manicurists from the potentially dangerous chemicals found in nail products, and begin a six-language education campaign to inform them of their rights.

Nail salons that do not comply with orders to pay workers back wages, or are unlicensed, will be shut down. The new rules come in response to a New York Times investigation of nail salons — first published online last week — that detailed the widespread exploitation of manicurists, many of whom have illnesses that some scientists and health advocates say are caused by the chemicals with which they work.

“New York State has a long history of confronting wage theft and unfair labor practices head on, and today, with the formation of this new Enforcement Task Force, we are aggressively following in that tradition,” Mr. Cuomo said in a statement. “We will not stand idly by as workers are deprived of their hard-earned wages and robbed of their most basic rights.”

[circlecity]

Well, say goodbye to the nail salons.

[ErnBatavia]

Vietnamese bidniss practices?

[stephenjohnbanker]

The Vietrnamese aren’t gonna like this, Yogi....

[ifinnegan]

Look for the unintended consequences.

Or maybe they are intended.

Shut down the uppity immigrants who run businesses on their own.

Show em who’s boss.

[cripplecreek]

a new, multiagency task force will conduct salon-by-salon investigations, institute new rules that salons must follow to protect manicurists from the potentially dangerous chemicals found in nail products, and begin a six-language education campaign to inform them of their rights.

LOL

[sickoflibs]

RE:”Many workers are undocumented and fear exposing themselves to the authorities, so they rarely speak up. The agencies involved in the task force do not inquire about workers’ immigration status as part of their investigations, the governor’s office said. An education campaign will also be introduced through community groups to inform workers they have the right be compensated fully, regardless of their immigration status, and encourage them to report mistreatment.”

Maybe they are homesick.

[CharlesOConnell]

I asked a legislative aid to a conservative California legislator, what would it take to run an industry scam to exploit nail-parlors?

The plan would be to get in a smoky back room with trade association representatives from the HVAC Industry, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (if I have the acronym right).

This would present reforms to health conditions for nail-parlor workers as a noble, humanitarian effort, never mind if it threw thousands of workers in the unemployment lines.

My legislative aid friend was unimpressed.

However, that doesn't mean it isn't being tried in other states.

[Cicero]

Oh, my gosh! It’s about time Cuomo regulated the manicurists. What on earth took him so long?

[basil]

Jeeze—I guess these people have not much to do if they’re going to crack down on nail salons.

I don’t think I’ve ever been in a nail salon that wasn’t owned and run by citizens from Viet Nam.

They sure do very good manicures, pedicures, and facials and are making a nice living doing it. I haven’t seen an American run nail salon—ever!

Of course obammy needs to step in break this up. (Oh, Lord, what have we done to deserve this malicious person as president of the once greatest country on earth?)

[Responsibility2nd]

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ordered emergency measures on Sunday to combat the wage theft and health hazards faced by the thousands of people who work in New York State’s nail salon industry.

____________________________________________

“Combat the wage theft”?

I thought he was going to rescind the oppressive taxes they must pay; the huge fees, licensing costs and operational expenses these nail salons must pay to operate in the state of New York.

Silly me. Why would a democrap do that? In New York of all places.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Fricking statists

[SunkenCiv]

IOW, he’s not getting his cut, and/or he’s got a different ethnic group coming in that he needs to employ.

What The New York Times Gets Wrong About Cheap Nail Salons
http://reason.com/blog/2015/05/08/nail-salon-narratives

How Tippi Hedren made Vietnamese refugees into nail salon magnates
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3286067/posts

[ltc8k6]

And goodbye to the cheap part, too.

[cripplecreek]

Better Call Saul. He lives in a Vietnamese owned nail salon.

[freedumb2003]

>>Well, say goodbye to the nail salons.<<

That pretty well covers it. No more manis or pedis for less than $100 or so.

[Buckeye McFrog]

Welcome to New York: The Hangnail Capital of the United States

[circlecity]

"No more manis or pedis for less than $100 or so."

Yep. I bet this whole thing was orchestrated by the large corporate salons who want to put out of business the small mom and pop salons being run out of kitchens and store fronts to try and make an extra buck. Just like they did to people who braid hair.

[ColdOne]

I guess you can say goodbye to nail salons now.

[vette6387]

“>>Well, say goodbye to the nail salons.<<”

Well, he’s just creating “opportunities” for underemployed Blacks, whom we all know are just chomping at the bit to get into the nail salon business. Just imagine “Jo-Jo’s Black Fro Hair and Nail Salon!” I mean for former customers of the Vietnamese places would be flocking there from the get-go!