Fish Pedicures update from DOL

This email came today from the DOL:
From: Knight, Lawna (DOL) (LKNIGHT@DOL.WA.GOV)

"The Department of Licensing has sent this to all salons regarding its position on fish pedicures:

http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/cosmetology/fishpedicure100108.pdf"


Back to our website

Inustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere

We love being on the forefront of providing safer salons for guests and salon owners alike. We just got off the phone with the Department of Licensing to discuss recent law changes and to find out how the public and salon owners can keep up to date.



Rose at the DOL says, "We have news updates on our listserv that owners can subscribe to."

Listserv? a flashback comes across our heads. we tell rose, "That's great. it reminds me of my college days. listservs. ftp's. rss feeds. tell me rose, how many salon owners understand how to use this technology?"

"well, our advisory committee comes up with the new changes and we are required by law to send them out to all of our licensees. we have quarterly updates in Olympia, Bellingham, and East of the Mountains that any member of the public is welcome to attend where we discuss new law changes."

we interrupt, "wait. law changes are being made quarterly in our industry and the only way to get the latest changes is to attend public hearings in Olympia or subscribe to your listserv?"

"yes."

okay. wow. we continue, "we noticed on your website that over 20 salons were fined in just 2 months. over 50% of those salons represent a minority that speak languages other than english. how many members of the DOL advisory committee understand the demographics by which they are trying to protect? in other words, how are you communicating with them?"

"our information is published in multiple languages on our website located at http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/cosmetology/whatsnew.html"


intereting rose.

we chat for a few momets with the DOL. "you know it doesn't matter to us that your information is difficult to obtain. we received great scores on our last inspection. but we're deeply concerned that new law changes are being made and they are not effectively being communicated with the rest of the industry. it's almost strange to think that we want to help our competition.

creating new laws does not change anything if no one knows about them. the salons that are being fined deserve those fines if they're not staying current with safety standards.

you know rose, it's better for us to see you shut them down and impose stricter fines. but it's not the right thing to do."

rose says, "if you'd like you are welcome to partake in our next meeting in Bellingham to discuss how we can work together."

okay rose. we'll see you there in Bellingham.

Business Gentrification, salon safety, and the Department of Licensing

We received an email forward today from our salon adivsor, Laurie Foster of the King County Environmental investigators that she received from the Department of Licensing (DOL).

The email from Sandra of the Cosmetology DOL said, "We are currently recruiting for one public member to serve on the Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics, and Manicuring Advisory Board. A public member is a consumer who is unaffiliated with the cosmetology, barbering, esthetics, and manicuring industry."
source: http://www.dol.wa.gov/business/cosmetology/news.html

This was our reply...

"Hello Laurie and Sandra (and kevin, quang, secret, victoria and frank)
Thank you for forwarding this position to my attention.

The Department of Licensing as it pertains to the cosmetology industry is failing in its communication with nail salon owners and I appreciate the efforts of its committee to fulfill positions that are underrepresented.

In an industry that is dominated by 40% of the Vietnamese population I must ask why there is no one on the advisory committee that represents this group?

I went to the website for the DOL to find out a little bit more about who is serving on the advisory committee and the mission of the organization.

Here is what I've discovered...
Vision: To promote safety, we educate and practice professionally and competently.

* Anne Martin, Chair — esthetician
* Sylvia Garcia, Vice Chair — vocational school
* Kathleen Sather — manicurist, esthetician
* Larry Geiger — cosmetologist
* Mary Tanneberg — cosmetologist, esthetician
* Gary Howse — private school
* Tom Johnson — barber
* James Moran — manicurist
* Vacant — public member

Just yesterday an inspector visited my salon. There were new rule changes that I wasn't even aware of since the last visit to my nail spa.

If there is a section on the website for new updates on the DOL's website as it pertains to the cosmetology section it was not clearly labeled.
I am extremely computer savvy and I had difficulty finding it.

I am forwarding this message to the board of directors for VAEDA/WAVA, ECOSS, CCEJ and Evergreen Beauty & Barber.

I know for a fact that the DOL does not send out immediate law changes to their licensees nor to Salon Owners.

In order for the DOL to fulfill its mission of providing safety to the public then they must work together to communicate the new changes effectively through proper communication and not merely imposing stricter laws.

I hope together we can find a solution for better representation of undeserved groups. And I hope we can move forward to strengthen our communication between new law changes and communication to salon owners and licensees.

Feel free to call me at 206.361.9888

Many Blessings

-Robert Luu