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Ralphs and Food 4 Less set to close in Long Beach. They blame hazard pay ordinance
As cities across the state look to require hazard pay for grocery workers, California's grocery industry is pushing back.
Kroger, which owns several supermarket chains, said Monday it would close two stores in Long Beach in response to city rules mandating an extra $4 an hour in “hero pay” for grocery workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The stores slated for closure are a Ralphs on Los Coyotes Diagonal and a Food 4 Less store on South Street, affecting 200 workers.
“This misguided action by the Long Beach City Council oversteps the traditional bargaining process and applies to some, but not all, grocery workers in the city," Kroger said in a statement. “The irreparable harm that will come to employees and local citizens as a direct result of the City of Long Beach’s attempt to pick winners and losers, is deeply unfortunate. We are truly saddened that our associates and customers will ultimately be the real victims of the city council’s actions.”