United Parking/United Valet Parking Inc. (UVP) holds Los Angeles City Business Licenses for over 100 lots and is licensed by the Los Angeles City Police Commission to operate them. As is typical in “pay to play” politics in Los Angeles, the company and its owner over the years have contributed thousands of dollars to Los Angeles politicians they consider to be friendly or at least in their interests to get or keep in office. Most recently, on December 30, 2013, the company gave $700 to City Council member Jose Huizar who’s facing a big re-election fight because of allegations that he sexually harassed female staff members.
UVP routinely violates Sections 6400 and 6401 of the Labor Code, and Section 42.00(c)(1) of the Los Angeles Municipal Code by having their employees stand out in the street in traffic to solicit motorists to park in their lots:
Left: UVP employees violating LAMC 42.00(c)(1)
Sections 6400 and 6401 of the California Labor Code require companies to keep their employees safe and not permit inherently unsafe work (like standing in the middle of the street during traffic) while LAMC 42.00(c)(1) provides that:
No person shall on any street offer for sale, solicit the employment of, or announce by any means the availability of, any goods, wares, merchandise, services or facilities, or solicit patrons for or advertise any show, exhibition, entertainment, tour, excursion, sight-seeing trip, or real estate viewing or inspection trip. (Amended by Ord. No. 182,708, Eff. 10/20/13.)
Stealing Tips
In all my years as as a private investigator and former union organizer and labor union official I have never actually heard of an employer stealing tips from its own employees. I have heard of restaurants who required waitresses to share tips with other employees, like busboys or chefs, but at least there’s a rational basis for the practice (and it’s rare). But UVP is currently being sued for a policy that’s just beyond the pale of civilized corporate behavior.
In Los Angeles Superior Court Case No. BC529988, UVP and its owner, Kenny Sabet, are being sued for, amongst other things, deeming the tips earned by their employees to be company property and requiring those tips to be turned over to their supervisors at the end of each shift. This is really sick.
What should you do about this?
If a garment factory in Bangladesh is producing shirts for American markets and the workers are being exploited, then you stop buying from the companies that sell those products and let them know why. If an American tech company is selling computers made in China under sub-standard labor conditions, same standard applies: engage in a secondary boycott of those selling the computers, because you can’t do anything directly to otherwise influence the manufacturers.
So, please don’t do business with any of these establishments unless they pledge to fire United Valet Parking and get in a decent and humane operator to manage their parking and valet services:
AGO Restaurant
8478 Melrose Ave. West Hollywood, CA 90069
Tel.: 323.655.6333
Chloe Boutique Melrose Place
8448 Melrose Place Los Angeles CA 90069
323.602.0000
Comme Ca Restaurant
8479 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069 323-782-1104
Fig & Olive
8490 Melrose Place
West Hollywood, CA 90069
310 360 9100
Fogo de Chao
133 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 289.7755
Katsuya
11777 San Vicente Blvd, Brentwood, CA 90049
(310) 207-8744
Le Petit Bistro
631 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 289-9797
Lucques
8474 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 655-6277
Marni
8460 Melrose Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Phone:(323) 782-1101
Mastro’s
246 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
(310) 888-8782
Monique Lhuillier
8485 Melrose Place. Los Angeles, CA 90069. 323.655.1088
Nobu
903 N La Cienega Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
(310) 657-5711
Oscar de la Renta
8446 Melrose Pl, Los Angeles, CA 90069
(323) 653-0200
Picca
9575 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 277-0133
Serge Normant @ John Frieda Salon
8440 Melrose Place, West Hollywood, California 90069
(323) 653-4040
Sotto
9575 W Pico Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90035
(310) 277-0210
STK
755 N La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90069
(310) 659-3535
Taste on Melrose
8454 Melrose Ave, West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 852-6888
Stinking Rose
55 N La Cienega Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(310) 652-7673
