The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved an urgency ordinance Tuesday that requires larger grocery and drug retail stores in unincorporated portions of the county, such as Castaic and Stevenson Ranch, to pay their workers an additional $5 per hour in “hero pay.”
During their regular meeting Tuesday, the board passed the “hero pay” urgency ordinance 4-1, with Supervisor Kathryn Barger voting against, which requires larger grocery and drug retail stores located in the unincorporated areas of the county to pay all of their workers an additional $5 per hour for 120 days.
Barger said that she voted against the motion in part because she feels it “doesn’t address all of our essential workers.”
“It is unfair to select one sector over scores of others in determining ‘Hero Pay’ for its employees,” Barger said in a statement after the vote. “More importantly, I have concerns about the unintended consequences that will result from this Board directing salaries in the private sector.”
The concept was originally proposed within L.A. County by Supervisor Hilda Solis in the beginning of January.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, frontline grocery and drug retail workers have continued to show up to work despite the dangers of being exposed to COVID-19,” Solis said at the time. “Given the nature of these jobs, they are staying inside with large crowds every day, putting them at heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.”
Companies within the unincorporated areas of the county fall under this ordinance if they are publicly traded or have at least 300 employees nationwide, as well as more than 10 employees per store site.
“Such grocery and drug retail workers are among the heroes of this pandemic, putting their lives on the line – often for low wages and minimal benefits – in order to sustain our food system and maintain healthy communities,” the motion reads.
See Related: L.A. County Board Of Supervisors To Consider ‘Hero Pay’ For Grocery Workers
The motion was introduced by Supervisors Solis and Holly Mitchell, who point to both the heightened risk of exposure to COVID-19 these workers experience and the increase in profits of publicly-traded retailers as justification for the motion.
“Because of their work on the frontlines, grocery and drug retail workers have met the frantic pace of demand to keep County residents fed and ensure access to medicine during this pandemic,” the motion reads. “This has been the case since the beginning of the pandemic, with people across the nation rushing to grocery and drug retail stores to stock up on supplies bracing for the unknown.”
Research cited in the text of the motion found that employees with direct customer exposure were five times more likely to test positive for COVID-19.
“Grocery retailers have experienced an increase in outbreaks with nearly 500 businesses currently under investigation in the County alone,” the motion reads. “The inability to practice social distancing consistently at work due to large crowds has not only increased exposure risks but also contributed to the psychological distress workers have felt during the pandemic.”
The motion also cites a study from the Brookings Institution, which found that the top, publicly-traded retailers saw a 40% increase in profit in 2020, averaging $16.7 billion, while their stock prices increased by an average of 33%.
“Although these inequalities have been exposed and are out in the open for us to finally discuss and address, this public health crisis and the economic unraveling have widened the already deep divide between low-wage frontline workers and their employers and shareholders,” the motion reads.
The full text of the motion can be viewed here.
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