Nail salon workers in New York are pushing for industrywide health and labor standards over fears that working conditions have become more dire amid the Covid pandemic.
In a first for the industry, nail technicians, aided by labor organizers, are advocating for the creation of a new council that would involve people on multiple levels — from government officials to workers to salon owners — in an effort to set healthier wage and labor standards. They are pushing for standards such as set hours, compliance with the minimum wage requirement, health insurance, ventilation and language access for immigrant workers across New York. While the council would work at the state level, advocates hope the effort will lead to improved industry standards nationwide.
Working conditions in nail salons have long been a topic of concern for many, and the pandemic and waning economy have exacerbated existing challenges. Nail technicians say work hours have become more inconsistent, and that they’ve grown increasingly worried about the safety of the products they use.
“We don’t want any new nail salon workers in the future to go through what we have gone through,” said Sabita Lama, a nail technician and nail fellow at Adhikaar, a community nonprofit organization that is part of the New York Healthy Nail Salon Coalition, speaking in Nepali through a translator.
The issues, one expert said, are complex as conditions and available resources in salons vary widely. While the New York bill,...
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