Nail Salon Workers Announce Groundbreaking
Victory!
Federal Court Rules Unanimously in Favor of
Workers' Claims Against Employer for Retaliation, Failure to Pay
Overtime
Rally & Press Conference
Tuesday, October 30, 2007 @ 12 PM (In front of the 167 Nail Plaza
Salon)
(located at 167 Amsterdam Avenue, btwn 67th and 68th Sts, NYC)
1/9 to 66th Street subway
This Tuesday, a group of nail salon workers, supporters, national
women's groups and elected officials will rally and announce their
victory in a major battle against 167 Nail Plaza and 68 Nail Plaza
salons. In March 2005, Susan Do Yea Kim was fired by Nail Plaza
owners Dong Rim Park and Mou San Rim for simply requesting regular
break times during the day.
On Friday, October 26, 2007, a jury for the U.S. District Court
for the Southern District of New York ruled unanimously in favor
of Ms. Kim, charging Nail Plaza for retaliatory firing and failure
to pay overtime. Do Yea Kim and two of her co-workers were together
awarded a total of over $200,000 in backpay and punitive damages,
as well as reinstatement to their former positions.
The Nail Plaza workers are the first group of nail salon workers
in the country to publicly stand up and expose the beauty industry's
rampant labor violations, and the serious health effects of their
prolonged exposure to toxic nail chemicals. The Nail Plaza workers,
who have been picketing for the past 6 months, has also inspired
elected officials, women and labor organizations, and medical
experts to join together with JWBS to launch a Nail Salon Workers
Network to call for greater changes in the largely unregulated
nail salon industry.
Justice Will Be Served! Campaign
c/o CSWA, P.O. Box 130293, New York, NY 10013-0995;
Phone: (212) 334-2333 Ý Fax: (212) 334-1974 Ý Email:
cswa@cswa.org
Justice Will Be Served! (JWBS) is a campaign that unites restaurant,
hotel, deli, and other service workers in different communities
across New York to fight against long hours, second-class wages,
stolen tips and other sweatshop conditions.
JWBS! is composed of a coalition of organizations: 318 Restaurant
Workers Union,
Chinese Staff & Workers' Association, National Mobilization
Against Sweatshops
