Council signals intent to see grocery workers get COVID hazard pay

A proposal to give Antioch grocery store workers temporary hazard pay for working through the pandemic appears headed for approval.

After a lengthy discussion, the City Council on Tuesday directed staffers to return with recommendations for the types and size of businesses that should be required by an emergency ordinance to pay workers extra.

Council members also asked staff to research how such an ordinance would affect future businesses deciding whether to locate to the city.

The hazard pay, which would last for a specified time during the pandemic, could add anywhere from $3 to 5 an hour to employees’ wages, according to a city staff report. It could require stores with 300 or more employees nationwide — regardless of where they work — to pay employees the hazard pay for 120 days or until Contra Costa County enters the yellow tier, a minimal risk level.

If the ordinance is approved, Antioch would be following the footsteps of several other area cities, including Concord, Oakland, Berkeley, San Leandro, Redwood City and San Jose.

Most speakers who addressed the council Tuesday supported the temporary pay hike, noting that unlike many essential workers, those at grocery stores put themselves at risk so people can put food on their tables.

“I just want to say that our members have been working tirelessly throughout this entire pandemic, Not for a single day have grocery stores closed,” Ryan Gilly, a United Food and Commercial Workers International Union organizer, told the council.

He noted that bigger grocery stores have reported “record profits while our members have had a heightened exposure to the virus.” Though some stores gave their employees hazard pay early into the pandemic, many stopped doing so last summer, he added.

“There have been increases in violence, and even the loss of life to many of our workers in grocery stores and throughout the pandemic,” he said.

Johnny Gomez, a 13-year grocery worker, explained what the job has been like over the past year.

“You know, we’ve dealt with anti-maskers, we’ve dealt with aggressive customers, we’ve been spat at, cussed at, a lot of us have gotten sick, some of us have even died,” he said. “You know this hazard pay will go a long way, giving us a peace of mind and a cushion to ensure that we can pay our bills.”

Another union member said grocery stores have been even busier during the pandemic as dining options shrank.

“While the stores are making record profits … grocery workers were asked to return to work in an environment where they are 20 times more likely than the general public and being exposed to COVID-19, 20 times more likely to develop the most serious complications and 20 times more likely to share that virus with the people they love most,” he said. “That’s a big deal, and as a community we must recognize this.”

Ryan Landman of the California Retailers Association said he is part of a coalition that opposes the ordinance.

“The grocery business operates on razor-thin margins and premium pay ordinances will have dire impacts,” he said. “… Decisions to legislate should not be made at the local level.”

Council members Mike Barbanica and Lori Ogorchock also questioned whether the city should get involved in telling businesses what to pay their employees.

“This is a slippery slope for us to get into and I don’t think it is one we should be getting into,” Ogrochock said.

Barbanica asked Economic Development Director Kwame Reed how such an ordinance would affect business.

“Very frankly, I was hired to bring in jobs and companies. This could be seen as like the opposite direction of inviting companies into Antioch,” he said. “So I would really like to do additional research on this.”

Mayor Pro Tem Monica Wilson, however, said she favored the temporary pay hike for grocery workers.

“These men and women were working the front line, making sure we all got fed when it wasn’t recommended for us to go to the grocery store,” she said.

Mayor Lamar Thorpe agreed, noting the city got involved in matters during the pandemic that were temporary “because we understood the challenges that we’re facing.”

“The reality is, grocery store workers have been working since the start of the pandemic,” he said. “I haven’t been to my office in over a year and some, some of you haven’t been back to your workplaces in over a year. But every time I went to the supermarket, I saw workers working their butts off to make sure that that part of our society is still functioning.”

Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker also favored the proposal.

“I think because it (the pay hike) is time-bound and it’s for a period of time and it’s to help our most valued essential workers right now — other than public safety workers — then this is something we definitely should do.”

On March 22, 2021 Theodosia (Dee) Benkalowich Arnold of Walnut Creek, California, passed away. She was 84 years old and the daughter of predeceased John and Anna Benkalowich of Edmonton, Canada. Dee is survived by her cousins Eve Zawoyski, Stanley Zawoyski, Charlene Padgett, John Baran, Barbara Drake, Ronald Fichera, Yuilanna Voloshin Assi and Yaroslav Voloshin a resident of Ukraine. She is also survived by her dear friend Lynda Hoppenrath, whose long-term friendship, and loving Care of Dee in her final years was immeasurable.

Dee spent her early life in Edmonton, Canada, and attended High School there. She was crowned Miss Alberta, Canada, in the late 1950’s. She was very active in theater, and had opportunities to perform with Robert Goulet and other notables. Dee later moved to California where she met and traveled extensively with her husband Ernest (Bud) Arnold, Esq. She was also a tireless fund raiser for the San Francisco Opera. Dee continued to visit friends in Edmonton throughout the years. Dee had a full life with many friends, and it was always fun to be in her company. A mass for Dee will be held at St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, Edmonton, Canada and her ashes will be laid to rest alongside her husband Bud at St. Michael’s Cemetery, Edmonton, Canada.

Rememberance for Dee will be held at Skyview Memorial Lawn Chapel (200 Rollingwood Dr, Vallejo) on April 19th from 3pm - 5pm.