It’s time to stop playing politics with jobs

Over the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc across the globe – from job losses and food shortages, to PPE scarcity and adapting to what felt like endless shutdowns. It was a year we all want to forget.

Unfortunately, Latino families have been disproportionately hurt by the pandemic as they have been hit hard with the virus and suffered the greatest share of job losses in California, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.

That’s why Latinos should be wary of government-mandated premium pay ordinances that are popping up in cities across the state.

From Los Angeles to Fresno to Davis, special interests are pressuring local politicians to mandate premium pay for some essential workers – but not all – who continued to work in-person throughout the pandemic. These government decrees do not benefit every essential worker, only a select few who are primarily represented by a powerful special interest. That’s not right.

And it’s not a matter of whether these frontline workers deserve extra pay – they certainly do. But many employers voluntarily increased pay, benefits and bonuses during the thick of the pandemic to show their appreciation for their workforce. In fact, some retailers have gone above and beyond, recruiting employees from shuttered hotels and restaurants who were in dire need of a paycheck.

Here’s the real problem: local government is forcing grocers and retailers to increase their operating costs by nearly 30 percent, which could lead to store closures, devastating job losses and a higher cost of living hurting everyone in these communities.

Take for example the city of Los Angeles, which passed a premium pay mandate in early March. In a report on the ordinance’s potential impacts, the Chief Legislative Analyst warned the city could see higher prices for consumers, increased pressure on struggling stores leading to closures, and reduced hours or jobs. The report wasn’t wrong, either. After the ordinance passed, three grocery stores announced their permanent closure. That’s in addition to two grocery stores in Long Beach that closed after their city council passed a similar mandate.

Closing a pharmacy, grocery or retail store is the last thing our communities need and research shows it impacts Black and Latino neighborhoods the most. Eliminating easy access to fresh and healthy food leads to higher rates of obesity and worsens chronic illnesses, especially for children. It also forces our neighbors to walk, drive or bus even further just to buy affordable, nutritious food or get access to necessary medications.

And if a store is able to stay open, they’ll likely be forced to increase costs for consumers. One study by the California Grocers Association estimates it could add about $400 to the annual cost of food and household supplies for the typical family of four in California. We shouldn’t do anything to make life more expensive, especially when California struggles with the highest cost of living in the nation.

On top of all this, California is making incredible strides in decreasing our COVID-19 daily case rate, hospitalizations and deaths. And on April 15, all Californians age 16 and over will be eligible to receive the vaccination. Our communities are getting safer and safer by the day, an economic recovery appears to be on the horizon and normal life is once again within reach.

Sensible cities, like San Carlos and Pasadena, recognized this and the potential negative impacts of enacting premium pay mandates, ultimately rejecting the harmful ordinances. More cities should follow suit.

Rather than playing politics with jobs and jeopardizing a much-needed economic recovery, local governments across the state should work to quickly vaccinate their communities to ensure everyone is safe.