patrick.net

LONG BEACH, Calif. (CNS) -- Grocery company Kroger announced on Monday it will be shuttering two of its stores in Long Beach -- a Ralph's location and a Food4Less store -- in response to a city ordinance requiring a $4 "hero pay'' salary boost for some workers.

"As a result of the city of Long Beach's decision to pass an ordinance mandating extra pay for grocery workers, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close long-struggling store locations in Long Beach,'' according to a company statement. "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."
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The Long Beach City Council last month gave initial approval to a law requiring large grocers to pay its workers an extra $4 an hour in "hero pay'' for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The law applies to companies with 300 or more workers overall and more than 15 employees per location in Long Beach.