City Council orders ‘hero’ pay hike
Extra $4 per hour required for grocery workers for next 120 days under the new city ordinance
Grocery stores in Pomona will be required to pay workers $4 an hour in “hero pay” on top of their regular wages under an ordinance the City Council approved this week.
The council on Monday unanimously approved the ordinance, which will be in effect for the next 120 days, to support frontline retail workers facing greater risk of exposure during the coronavirus pandemic. The ordinance applies to retailers that employ 300 employees nationally and more than 10 within Pomona, and covers both grocery and pharmacy workers.
The ordinance will target the majority of large retail establishments within the city, including Stater Bros., Food 4 Less, Cardenas and Target. Under the ordinance, retailers are prohibited from retaliating against employees by reducing compensation, and companies must notify workers of the new rules.
The move to support workers comes as grocery stores across the country have remained open throughout the pandemic as essential service providers. Many grocery stores have implemented various safety protocols such as plexiglass dividers at check stands and daily temperature checks, but they have remained among the hardest hit in terms of virus outbreaks in Los Angeles County.
Pomona joins a growing number of local governments, including Montebello, Santa Ana, the city of Los Angeles and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, that pushed for “hero pay” ordinances to support retail workers,
The California Grocers Association has already filed lawsuits against some cities to stop such measures, most notably Long Beach. Last week, a federal judge denied the association’s lawsuit to temporarily overturn Long Beach’s ordinance on the basis that it failed to establish a likelihood of success on its claims. The lawsuit is ongoing.
Pomona City Attorney Sonia Carvalho said Monday evening the city is not aware of any pending lawsuits from the association, but she noted the city may be subject to claims in the future.
In response to the Long Beach ordinance, grocery company Kroger announced it would close two of its stores in the city, a Ralphs and a Food 4 Less. Both stores were reported to have been struggling before the extra pay was enacted, and the closures have been subject to criticism from local leaders.
Pomona City Manager James
Makshanoff said Monday night similar closures could occur locally, but he did not have immediate knowledge of retailers with any such plans. The city has a Food 4 Less at 2090 S. Garey Ave.
“There is a chance that our Food 4 Less store could be affected,” Makshanoff said. “That could be a risk for us.”
Grocery workers called and emailed comments in support of the extra pay, recalling stories of coworkers contracting the virus on the job. United Food and Commercial Workers 1428, which represents unionized grocery store employees in Pomona, reported 74 positive cases in the city, equaling 46% of their represented employees there, according to a staff report.
“Our members have stood up every day just to do this job, to make sure our communities have what they need,” said Mark Ramos, UFCW Local 1428 president, who called into the meeting.
Mayor Tim Sandoval said he’s spoken to grocery workers over the past few months, and they’ve shared with him the challenges they’ve faced since the onset of the pandemic.
“Think about the people that you see and come across every time you go to the grocery,” Sandoval said. “… These are people who are on the front lines and early on were being asked under adverse circumstances to work to make sure that we have the necessities so we could live and survive.”
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