Undocumented immigrants who speak little English dominate the workforce in U.S. nail salons. They often make far less than minimum wage, have their tips docked for minor errors, and endure exposure to toxic chemicals.
A recent New York Times investigation interviewed over 100 nail salon workers. Of these, only a quarter earned the state's minimum wage, and all but three had their wages held in illegal ways such as not receiving overtime.
Nail salon workers endure an array of toxic chemicals during their full time and overtime jobs. Many have been showing signs of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, and skin conditions such as dermatitis. Their immigrant status limits their ability to find work elsewhere, making them easy to exploit.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and other state officials have recently taken steps to address some of the issues in that state, but toxic exposure is a problem across the country. More than 357,000 people — mainly women and nearly half Vietnamese — were employed as nail technicians in 2012. Please sign the petition to urge the EPA to stand up for exploited manicurists and regulate the use of carcinogenic chemicals in nail salons!
We, the undersigned, are concerned with the health of nail salon woerkers.
As you may know, undocumented immigrants who speak little English dominate the workforce in U.S. nail salons. They often make far less than minimum wage, have their tips docked for minor errors, and endure exposure to toxic chemicals.
A recent New York Times investigation interviewed over 100 nail salon workers. Of these, only a quarter earned the state's minimum wage, and all but three had their wages held in illegal ways such as not receiving overtime.
Nail salon workers endure an array of toxic chemicals during their full time and overtime jobs. Many have been showing signs of respiratory illnesses such as asthma, and skin conditions such as dermatitis. Their immigrant status limits their ability to find work elsewhere, making them easy to exploit.
We respectfully urge you to stand up for nail salon workers and regulate the use of toxic chemicals in nail salons so that workers don't have to sacrifice their health to work in the U.S. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
