Protests continue with two Long Beach grocery stores set to close next week
The North Long Beach grocery store is part of a string of closures announced by Kroger Co. this year following several cities’ passage of “hero pay” ordinances.
The North Long Beach grocery store is part of a string of closures announced by Kroger Co. this year following several cities’ passage of “hero pay” ordinances.
The lawsuit seeking to overturn the pay raise will still be allowed to proceed, just with the law remaining in place for now.
“Grocery and drug retail employees have continued to report to work and serve our communities, despite the ongoing hazards and dangers of being exposed to COVID-19.”
Dozens of grocery workers were joined by city leaders and union representatives at a North Long Beach Food 4 Less to condemn the recent announcement by The Kroger Co. that it would close two stores in the city.
For more than 12 years, Kellye Hines-Parks has worked at Food 4 Less in North Long Beach. On Monday, she was told her store would be closing in April and that her future at the company is in limbo.
The national grocery giant is closing one of its Ralphs stores, located at 3380 N. Los Coyotes Diagonal, and one Food 4 Less store, located at 2185 E. South St.
The Long Beach City Council will hold a special meeting Friday morning to discuss the lawsuit filed against the city in response to the council’s vote for a “hero pay” ordinance earlier this week.
The suit claims the emergency ordinance singles out grocery stores despite other sectors like public safety, transportation and restaurants also employing essential front line workers but not being mandated to pay them extra money.
The emergency ordinance would require large chain grocery stores to pay their employees an additional $4 per hour for at least four months.