LOS ANGELES—Grocery store workers and Southern California supermarkets have let their labor contract expire on the morning of March 7, and a strike could be in the future. Contract negotiations between the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local (UFCW) 770 and Southern California’s major supermarkets broke down over the weekend. The existing contract expired…

LOS ANGELES—Grocery store workers and Southern California supermarkets have let their labor contract expire on the morning of March 7, and a strike could be in the future. Contract negotiations between the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local (UFCW) 770 and Southern California’s major supermarkets broke down over the weekend. The existing contract expired…

Officials in the city of Fullerton are contemplating a temporary “hero pay” wage increase for grocery and retail workers. The Fullerton City Council will discuss the topic at its June 1 meeting, at the request of councilmembers Jesus Silva and Ahmad Zahra. But other city officials told The Epoch Times the measure is unnecessary. “It’s…

City council in Anaheim, Calif. voted to table a hazard pay ordinance that sought to pay grocery and retail workers an extra $3 per hour for 60 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ordinance was initiated by Councilmember Jose Moreno during a May 11 city council meeting, and received support from councilmembers Jordan Brandman and Avelino Valencia. The topic was heavily debated,…

Anaheim city council during its May 11 meeting moved forward with an ordinance that would increase the hourly wages of grocery and retail workers. The measure would provide such workers with a $3 per hour pay boost for 60 days. Councilmember Jose Moreno initiated the “hero pay” ordinance, also known as hazard pay, with support from councilmembers…

Costa Mesa city council approved a hazard pay urgency ordinance March 16, requiring grocers and retail drug stores to boost the salaries of frontline employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ordinance, which takes immediate effect, requires stores to increase the hourly wage of frontline workers by $4 for 120 days. It applies to stores with…

LOS ANGELES—The Kroger Co. announced March 10 it is closing three Los Angeles stores following city council’s vote to approve an ordinance that requires large grocery and pharmacy retailers to offer employees an additional $5 per hour in hazard pay amid the COVID-19 pandemic. A Food4Less at 5420 W. Sunset Blvd., and two Ralphs, one…

Buena Park has become the latest Orange County city to consider boosting the paychecks of grocery workers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. City council will discuss during its Feb. 23 meetings a proposed $4 per hour premium pay to grocery store employees at qualifying retail businesses. “Workers at these establishments have encountered new hazards in…

Modifications to Irvine’s recently-approved “hero pay” for grocery workers are being made in an effort to shield small businesses from the measure, say some city councilors. Updates to the proposed ordinance sought to remove some of the smaller stores by increasing the minimum number of store employees from 15 to 20, and increasing the nationwide number of employees from 300 to 500….