Popular San Mateo County Nail Salon Chain
Sued for Wage and Hour Violations Redwood City, CA (September 13, 2011) - Four current and former employees of the popular San Mateo County nail salon chain, Natalie Salon, filed a class action lawsuit today in San Mateo Superior Court against the chain and its owners/operators. The class action suit charges Natalie Salon with a wide range of state wage and hour violations. These alleged violations include failing to pay employees overtime, confiscating portions of employees' credit card tips, and unlawfully deducting amounts from employee wages for minor infractions like dropping nail polish. The plaintiffs also claim that Natalie Salon has unlawfully failed to reimburse employees for work-related expenses, provide employees with required meal periods, furnish and maintain accurate wage and hour records, and pay employees all wages owed at discharge. "By bringing this case, I just want Natalie Salon to correctly pay me and the other women who work there for the work that we've done and to follow the law," said Vicky Tran, one of the named plaintiffs to the suit. "We commend Ms. Tran and the other women in this case who have stepped forward both for themselves and other women like them," said Winnie Kao, staff attorney at the Asian Law Caucus, and one of the attorneys for the plaintiffs in the case. "Beauty shouldn't come at the expense of the workplace rights of the women who provide it."
The Asian Law Caucus has had a long-standing interest and concern for workers in the nail salon industry. The number of nail salons in this country has tripled in the past decade as the business has evolved from a luxury service to a relatively inexpensive popular indulgence. According to a 2008 report by the California Senate Office of Research, there are 96,000 licensed nail technicians in the state. Worker advocates in the industry estimate that 59-80% of these workers are Vietnamese. The vast majority are women. Most are recent immigrants with limited English proficiency who lack access to legal services. The plaintiffs are represented by the Asian Law Caucus and the law firm Davis Cowell & Bowe, LLP.
# # # About The Asian Law Caucus: The Asian Law Caucus was founded in 1972 as the nation's first legal and civil rights Asian American organization. Recognizing that social, economic, political and racial inequalities continue to exist in the United States, ALC is committed to the pursuit of equality and justice for all sectors of our society, with a specific focus directed toward addressing the needs of low-income, immigrant and underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The Asian Law Caucus is a member of the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice. Visit: http://asianlawcaucus.org | 
