So, my question is - can one obtain a hechsher* in NY or LA if open on Shabbat?
I can unfortunately confirm that the presence of a mashgiach and cleanliness can in fact be mutually exclusive. I witnessed this when I worked for three months in the bakery at Mishmar Hasharon**, back before it burned down.
* hechsher = Kosher certification
** Mishmar Hasharon = a Kibbutz near Netanya; triva - Ehud Barak was raised there