California city’s ’hero pay’ hike mandate puts two grocery stores out of business Print this article
Two Long Beach, California, grocery stores were forced to close after the city mandated that local grocers were required to pay their employees $4 an hour more in “hero pay” amid the pandemic.
“This misguided action by the Long Beach City Council oversteps the traditional bargaining process and applies to some, but not all, grocery workers in the city,” The Kroger Co., which owns the two stores,
said in a statement.
Kroger will be closing one of its Ralphs stores and one of its Food 4 Less stores permanently on April 17, the company said. The two stores had been “long struggling” locations before Kroger made the move.
John Nunes, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers union representing 30,000 workers from Monterey to the Oregon border, said the employees deserve the extra pay. Not only are they putting themselves at risk, they also have family members at home that they could be bringing the pandemic to, which has happened over and over and over again, he said. Food and commercial workers on a nationwide scale have had over 120 employees succumb to the coronavirus and have died as a result of exposing themselves in the workplace.
Those representing the grocery industry warn that mandating so-called heroes or hazard pay will only drive up grocery prices and could lead to grocery stores shuttering some stores.
By Valerie Hernandez
Feb 2, 2021
Kroger just announced that it will close down a Ralph s and a Food4Less location in Long Beach as a response to a city ordinance requiring a $4 hero pay salary boost. In a company statement, As a result of the city of Long Beach s decision to pass an ordinance mandating extra pay for grocery workers, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close long-struggling store locations in Long Beach. This misguided action by the Long Beach City Council oversteps the traditional bargaining process and applies to some, but not all, grocery workers in the city. The irreparable harm that will come to employees and local citizens as a direct result of the city of Long Beach s attempt to pick winners and losers, is deeply unfortunate. We are truly saddened that our associates and customers will ultimately be the real victims of the city council s actions.
By Valerie Hernandez
Feb 2, 2021
Kroger just announced that it will close down a Ralph s and a Food4Less location in Long Beach as a response to a city ordinance requiring a $4 hero pay salary boost. In a company statement, As a result of the city of Long Beach s decision to pass an ordinance mandating extra pay for grocery workers, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close long-struggling store locations in Long Beach. This misguided action by the Long Beach City Council oversteps the traditional bargaining process and applies to some, but not all, grocery workers in the city. The irreparable harm that will come to employees and local citizens as a direct result of the city of Long Beach s attempt to pick winners and losers, is deeply unfortunate. We are truly saddened that our associates and customers will ultimately be the real victims of the city council s actions.