(SACRAMENTO, CA) – The California State Assembly passed legislation authored by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco) that would help immigrant nail salon workers and their employers understand labor laws.
AB 2437 passed 50-27 and moves to the State Senate for further review. It is a part of an ongoing effort in the State Assembly to ensure that the rights of nail salon workers are respected and protected.
“Language barriers should never be an impediment to workers’ rights,” said Ting. “Nail salon workers are frequently underpaid, overworked, and misclassified as independent contractors instead of employees. By providing information about worker’s rights to nail salon workers and owners, we can help everyone comply with and benefit from the law.”
Nail salon workers often do not know about workplace laws due to language and cultural barriers among both nail salon owners and employees. Those workers who are aware are often fearful of retaliation from their employer. AB 2437 would resolve these problems by requiring nail salons to post signage about basic labor rights in the language that salon workers can understand.
According to Asian Americans Advancing Justice, the sponsor of Ting’s AB 2437, California has over 95,000 licensed nail salon employees. Approximately 80% of nail salon owners and employees are Vietnamese immigrant women who often speak limited English.
“AB 2437 is important to ensure adequate training for employers and employees, which would cultivate a safe and healthy work environment for all employers, employees, and consumers within the nail salon industry,” said Andrew Medina, California Policy Manager for Asian Americans Advancing Justice-California, and Tracey Nguyen, Community Organizer for Community Heath for Asian Americans in a letter supporting Ting’s bill.
Last year, the New York Times newspaper published a series about labor violations that nail salon workers often face - including being underpaid, being misclassified as an independent contractor, exploitation, being denied breaks and lunch periods and retaliation. In response, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a multi-agency Nail Salon Industry Enforcement Task Force, and Connecticut shut down 23 nail salons for violating wage laws.
“More language accessible information for workers and owners on these issues will go a long way toward improving the working conditions for this predominately Vietnamese women worker community,” Catherine A. Porter, Policy Director for the California Health Nail Salon Collaborative.
Further information is available at www.leginfo.ca.gov.