City honors grocery workers with white ribbons, ‘hero’ posters
The growing movement to honor grocery and drug store workers during the coronavirus pandemic reached Upland on Monday, but in a different way.
Instead of passing an ordinance requiring grocery and drug store workers receive “hero pay” as did other cities, the Upland City Council adopted a resolution declaring April 2021 Essential Worker Appreciation Month.
Councilman Carlos Garcia and Mayor Bill Velto paid for 21 custom-made posters for grocery store windows that read, “Heroes Work Here.”
In Southern California, 10 cities and Los Angeles County have mandated that grocery companies pay workers an extra $4 or $5 per hour of hazard pay on top of their regular wages to support front-line retail workers who bear a greater risk for exposure to the coronavirus. The closest city to Upland that approved hazard pay was Pomona; no city in San Bernardino County has done so.
“This is not an issue regarding extra compensation. But it is to show our appreciation,” said James Breitling, a member of the Council Advisory Committee who came up with the idea.
The proclamation, read by Garcia and presented to Breitling at Monday night’s City Council meeting, recognizes how the retail food workers “put their lives in danger” and “demonstrated the highest degree of selflessness and exemplify the highest level of public service.”
Over 2,600 grocery and drug store workers within the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324 tested positive for
COVID-19 from March 13, 2020, to March 11, 2021, reported the union, which represents 23,000 employees in food, dental, financial, health care and retail, drug and merchandising in Orange and Los Angeles counties. Eight members have died from the virus, the union reported.
“To me, that is an insult,” Andrea Zinder, president of UFCW Local 324, said Tuesday following the Upland council’s vote. Zinder praised those cities in Orange and L.A. counties that have passed hazard pay laws but said Upland’s proclamation falls short.
“At this point, a simple thank-you doesn’t recognize the situation these workers have been in this past year,” Zinder said.
Breitling pointed out that during the early days of the pandemic, workers in Upland stores stocked shelves and checked out shoppers, despite worries about exposure as well as flared tempers from impatient shoppers facing long lines and shortages of toilet paper and other staples.
“The workers during those days were absolutely exhausted, often pulling double shifts,” he said. “These essential workers came to work every day while exposing their own health and safety.”
In addition to posters, Breitling and a handful of volunteers began tying white ribbons around the trunks of 700 trees surrounding City Hall and stores in Upland, including two Walmarts, two Stater Bros. markets, Walgreens, Target, Albertson’s, Von’s, Smart and Final, Aldi, 99Cent Only Stores, Grocery Outlet, Big Lots, Dollar Tree, Walgreens and CVS.
He also asked that Upland shoppers wear white ribbons as a show of support and tie a white ribbon around their own frontyard trees.
“My goal is to foster goodwill and appreciation for these essential workers,” Breitling wrote in an email.
At the Von’s store at 81 W. Foothill Blvd. on Tuesday, many shoppers inquired about the ribbons he and others affixed to parkway trees.
“That’s very awesome. Where can I get a white ribbon?” asked one shopper.
Breitling suggested going to a craft or hobby store. “All the responses were positive,” he noted. His team will work through Thursday tying ribbons around city trees, he said.
“They are unsung heroes who deserve acknowledgement and thanks from the community,” he added.