Car wash owners are suing the city over a law that they say pressures them to create a unionized workforce.

The measure requires non-unionized car washes to post a $150,000 surety bond in order to get a license while unionized establishments need only $30,000 bonds.

“The city is trying to put its thumb on the scale to force you to unionize, and that’s not allowed,” said Michael Cardozo, attorney representing the car wash owners.

Cardozo said the law goes against Supreme Court rulings which forbid local government from interfering in collective bargaining. He filed a motion on Monday to prevent the law from going into effect in December.

A spokesman for the city’s law department said the legislation is "legally sound and serves to protect hard-working carwash workers.”

Of the 200 car washes in the city, 9 are members of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. Stuart Appelbaum, president of the union, said the legislation was passed to prevent rampant wage theft in the car wash industry.

“These workers have had their wages stolen,” he said. “They’ve been exploited to the tune of millions and millions of dollars.”