SM anti-bias ordinance preceded a statewide law
CITY HALL — Authorities are planning an undercover sting for later this year, with the goal of putting an end to sex discrimination at local dry cleaners.
Many businesses charge more to clean a woman’s blouse than a man’s dress shirt, even though the same amount of work is required, officials said. All 51 local laundry and dry cleaning outfits were mailed a letter this week reminding them it’s illegal to charge customers differently based on their gender.
According to state law, it’s legal to charge more only when there’s a difference in the time, difficulty or cost of providing the service. Deputy City Attorney Adam Radinsky said local merchants would have to prove that was the case in order to continue charging customers a higher rate.
“It’s only legal if it is justified by those considerations,” he said.
No complaints have been made concerning the cost discrepancies, officials said.
Radinsky, who heads City Hall’s Consumer Protection Unit, said authorities will conduct a follow-up investigation later this year to make sure cleaners are complying. They also will check to make sure that the cleaners have posted a price list for their 15 most frequently requested services, as required by state law, as well as a posting that lists the law about gender bias. If requested, merchants should also be able to provide a full list of charges for all the services they provide, Radinsky added.
Businesses who charge higher prices to one gender are liable for punitive damages of a least $4,000, plus attorney fees. They also are subject to criminal prosecution with a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $500 fine, Radinsky said. Businesses who violate the price-posting rules and who fail to correct violations within 30 days can be handed a $1,000 penalty, he added.
“The unequal charging of men and women is... one of those consumer issues that affects many people, but few people know about it or do anything about it,”
Radinsky said.
Santa Monica’s anti-price-discrimination ordinance was adopted in August of 1994. In 1995, the state passed a similar law making it illegal to charge a customer differently based on their sex.
Of six Santa Monica cleaners randomly polled Tuesday, only two said they charged the same amount to launder a dress shirt as a blouse. Each of the other four said they charged a higher rate to launder a blouse, ranging from $1.15 to $1.55.
When asked why there is a discrepancy in pricing, three of the cleaners said it’s because women’s blouses are sometimes too small to be pressed by machine, which means they have to be pressed by hand. A clerk at another store said she didn’t know why they charged more.
Henry Farahmand, a partner at Aaron Cleaners at 2400 Main St., said most blouses should be dry cleaned anyway. And those that are laundered usually can’t be machine pressed, he added.
“Because most of the blouse is silk or delicate and it should be hand finishing,” Farahmand said.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 11, 2004. Read the original PDF.