The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
The cities of Oakland and San Jose are looking to force grocery stores to pay workers $5 more an hour in “hazard pay.”
The “hazard pay” increase would end when the COVID-19 pandemic ends, according to city officials.
QUESTION(S):
1. Do you think this is a good idea?
2. Do you think this is something government should get involved in?
Talk about it….
How would they force them to do so? What’s the legal mechanism that would force them to follow the city’s wishes?
It sounds good and they may deserve it, but then everything will double in price. So hard pass.
Not good. Prior to Covid my monthly grocery bill averaged $170-$190/month. As time went on, I was paying more for the same items; last month it was $263. I remember bringing this up to the clerk and she told me that everything is going up because people are eating at home more often. If this passes, everyone will be paying double and I won’t be surprised if more start depending on food banks. The State continues to slowly kill us.
Agreed!
And BTW, what evidence do they have that working in a grocery store is more hazardous than any other occupation?
What if the mortality rate is actually higher for the unemployed? Should we give them hazard pay too?
The more people that have a financial incentive from this “pandemic”, the longer the charade will last.
Wow, my food bill is way more than $263 a month. I don’t eat a lot of carbs, so cheap, starchy items aren’t available to me. I wish they were, though. I love potatoes, rice, corn, beans, bread, pasta and cereal.
Everything is going up because the grocery stores are raising their prices. I buy organic milk. It has risen 33% in cost. My laundry soap has almost doubled in less than 2 years.
I paid twice as much for a four-roll package of toilet paper recently than I paid before the pandemic. And, have you noticed how many of the familiar brands of paper items are no longer stocked?
@ Gittyup,
Regarding brands of toilet paper and paper towels. I go to Lucky’s on Clayton Rd and noticed the same thing. We use Charmin and I haven’t seen it in stock. I asked an employee about it and she told me that they weren’t getting named brands anymore. It’s now all generic.
@ Yo-yo Hop
Agree! Where do the handouts stop? Like I said, the State is slowly killing us. Less going to the store and more going to food banks.
@ Doh
Yes everything is going up. As mentioned the store clerk said because people are eating at home more and the companies are taking advantage of it; raising prices.
It will increase the price of groceries, which in turn will hurt those that lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and can’t afford to pay a higher cost. It could also mean grocery sales will drop because some folks will simply travel to another town or city to do their shopping.
Why are city leaders so asinine?
“Why are city leaders so asinine?” That’s because they keep getting elected by the same idiots at every election. There is never any “what if we do this…and what happens later” thinking or discussion.
Well they could cut taxes the stores have pay to finance it but I think that is considered blasphemy in government. 😉
99 Cents only stores still sell 12 double rolls of toilet paper for $2.99, you can also get good deals on many different items at Big Lot’s, such as detergent. I notice some prices have gone up, but Trader Joe’s still has good prices on many of their items. I buy stuff at Safeway that is on sale, otherwise I go to Grocery Outlet or as mentioned TJ’s.
If it’s hazardous for the workers it’s also hazardous for the shoppers. Give the shoppers an extra 10-15% off.
That’s exactly right. What are they really telling us? Everyone deals with the same thing. Give everyone a 33% raise. Pretty sure self check is about to make them obsolete, they better be thankful for what they got. Same with teachers. Don’t let your union push you into obscurity. You may end up on the dole..
@strad
Good post.
I bought an Onion the other day that actually had a bar code on it. The day is coming when we’ll be checking out all by ourselves just like we get gasoline.
I’m not in favor of this because it will raise the price of groceries. Also, union grocery clerks are already over paid for what they do. Non union clerks do the same job for minimum wage or slightly higher.
How would they force stores to do this?
If that is what each store wants to do..so be it..but i don’t know it is allthat “hazardous” to legislate this. I shop at Safeway and I don’t see any of the checkers missing because they have covid. I just wonder if they were not fortunate enough to build up a herd immunity. interesting..hm.m.m.
I certainly appreciate the work that those people do in the service industry. Some could just as easily stay at home collecting unemployment and other state/federal benefits. I’m especially in awe of our first responders and health care professionals. I always try to go out of my way to show my appreciation toward the above mentioned. I don’t have a problem with the added increase as long as it does not become permanent, but as we all know it never seems to work out that way.
Sounds more like opportunistic liberal politicians, who have their eyes on higher office, think they’ve found a way to gain Union support and votes.
Using the usual liberal approach, using employer’ dollars to buy themselves votes.
An as usual these politicians are either dismissive of or totally ignorant of economics, a little thing called wage price spiral.
Hazard pay opens a can of worms.
What about the employees of restaurants who are continuously exposed to patrons that are not wearing masks? Should employees of hardware stores, liquor stores, and other “essential” businesses also get hazard pay?
I think a memo went out but for a while Safeway employees were starting to be careless about wearing masks. Some of them would get obnoxious if you tried to remind them. Should they get hazard pay or should customers get hazard discounts?
@KT – I too have noticed the rising prices but wonder why should a higher sales volume result in higher prices? More likely, grocery store chains see this as a profit taking opportunity as they no longer have to compete with restaurants.
Would think, prices of items will go even higher, which has already happened. Plus, there many be some employees laid off, which the work load would be heavier for the employees still there. Not good from/for both ends.
What’s that the cities are going to pay grocery workers five dollars an hour. Well that’s mighty nice of them. Actually they should be paid extra but having the city get involved is not a good thing. You would think the stores are already compensating the workers.
Good idea, drive grocery stores out of the cities.
California should pay law-abiding citizens at least $5/hour just to live in this pit!
I think most grocery stores could afford to absorb the extra cost. Perhaps just half $2.50 more an hour. I understand that Trader Joe’s pay their employee’s well and have for years and they are successful and making money, and their prices are very good, the same goes for Costco. Of course then the question becomes why just grocery stores, I have been back at Macy’s since mid June, and am in contact with many people every day I’m at work, and I’m older and have not heard anything about getting vaccinated yet from John Muir, other than they would start contacting people in my age group early this month.
Are you kidding me?
A business can’t just absorb such a huge pay raise overnight.
Being in retail you should know this!
If that happens – they will increase the prices accordingly and you and me are paying that hazard raise.
Hanne – Companies like Trader Joe’s & Costco have always been about people/employees which creates fabulous customers service and “enough profit”. That’s why people seem like they are happy and like working at Trader Joe’s and Costco. Safeway, Raleys, Save Mart etc are all about profit and screw employees/people. They thrive on short shifting employees so they don’t have to pay benefits. I had a friend that worked for Safeway 16 years ago and needed to work 20 hours a week for prorated benefits. They always worked her 18-19 hours and no more so they didn’t have to give her benefits. After a few months she quit and went to work at Costco. She’s been their ever since, got benefits even being PPT (20 – 24 a week) and is very happy.
I personally do not shop at the “big” grocers for that reason. I shop Trader Joe’s 98% of the time (and their prices are lower than Safeway and quality is superior) and a small regional markets the other times.
And if you want excellent meat and poultry hit up a Mexican market like Las Montanas. Mexican markets have the best meats and poultry
The rule of thumb is 10% is a good profit margin and 5% is a low profit margin.
Grocery stores operate on average with a 2.2% profit margin or 2 cents profit on every dollar spent in the store.
There is no way grocery stores can absorb increased costs without passing them along to the consumer.
And soon you will be bagging your own groceries.
108RS
I already am. Safeway employees won’t load groceries into customer supplied bags. I blame Doctor Evil for all of this Corona-mania fiasco.
So a customer bringing his own bag is now allowed?
If this passes then what else qualifies for hazard pay? Gas station attendants? Restaurant workers? Convenience store workers? Liquor store workers? Retail workers who don’t work in grocery stores? They’re all up front and dealing with the public too. Are privately owned mom and pop grocery stores included as well? I don’t know that they can afford to pay an extra $5 per hour.
How about just living in the Bay Area
An 84-year-old San Francisco man was killed when a young teen sprinted across the street and blasted him in an unprovoked assault. – The Gateway Pundit
I am grateful to any people who have worked through Covid in a retail environment. However, at least they are getting earn a living when so many others can’t.
Perhaps some sort of specialized Hazard Insurance or a bump in pension/profit sharing benefits might make more sense. Their employer should fund it as opposed to the public.
Grocery store employees have to interact with HUNDREDS of people every day(thousands per week). Thus their exposure rate working such a job is much higher than say, the person in this thread whining about having to go to the store and work their crappy desk job from home. I do residential remodels and interact with a MAX of 20 people per week and that seems like a bit much at times considering the circumstances right now. OH and they also have to deal with everyone’s crappy attitude, so maybe be a bit more appreciative of the person behind the counter before spewing your guts out on the person risking much more than you are by going to work everyday because they don’t have another option.
Amen. The only person commenting that has a a by kind of sense.
Do you folks know what supply and demand is? Yes, increased wages will bump the price of groceries up a bit but the aforementioned theory Is the true culprit. MORE DEMAND for items at many stores right now, AND A SHORTER SUPPLY than usual(remember when shelves were bare and everyone was losing it?……remember when gas was reallllllly cheap in March? Nobody driving =less demand) ……this allow stores to markup the cost of most items due to this basic economic theory…….let them make a few more bucks. Jimney crickets you guys, lift people up don’t tear them down. RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS. Get it
@WeIIIIIII
Not a good thing for the government to tell employers what to pay; gas was not really cheap in March; yes, we folks know about supply and demand; and regarding your post below, you really shouldn’t accuse people of being irresponsible for not saving enough money. Just how did you get to be so full of yourself at such a young age?
City or State governments imposing payment requirement on businesses should only occur when the government puts up the money. Same with rent moratoriums. If government is going to say someone doesn’t have to pay there rent or can defer payments, the government should make the payments to the landlord and the renter can pay back the government when (if) able to in the future.
Gary, businesses and landlords need to comply with local mandates if they want to continue making ends meet, those are the facts, some of these things are harsh but this is reality. With that said, if you as a business owner/landlord weren’t responsible enough to save money in the event of an emergency, you must be over your skis financially to begin with, which is another topic that a business like Boeing could tell you about. Pick yourselves up, let’s get after it and not blame everything and everyone for what’s happening right now.
@Welll, How to begin addressing the problems with your argument…
First off an emergency, is by definition a short term situation. This Covid nonsense has been going on for about a year now. Why should a landlord be expected to be physically solvent through a year of diminished income and not the tenant?
Secondly and as you pointed out, these are mandates, not laws. They haven’t been voted on. They have been forced on the public without discussion or consent. When such mandates or decrees become the norm, because of an emergency that never ends, we are no longer living under a democracy, we are living under a dictatorship.
“The “hazard pay” increase would end when the COVID-19 pandemic ends, according to city officials.”
ROFL, funniest thing I’ve read all day.
Realistically, they made their first mistake when they designated some workers “essential.” Unfortunately, no one is really “essential,” largely because there will always be somebody lined up behind you waiting, willing, and eager to do your job … and who will do it completely without trepidation on a moment’s notice whatever the circumstances. Most employers are well aware of this.
Just my 2 cents….but whether or not persons in a private business should get hazard or “hero” pay is not the business of govt. Govt is already to big, and for them to stick their noses in how a business is run is not wise….I mean look at the difference at how govt is run and private business is run….Govt is in debt and taxes more, and if a business cant make it they fold…..Plus, it is just one step closer to socialism…..Govt is getting too big as it is. Let the employees negotiate, but dont tell business how to do it until you can do it “better”…
Self check, Stock at night, security guard at the door. Hazard eliminated
No government should ever get involved in economics.
They can’t even manage their own budgets. Just look at the deficit.
Giving grocery workers extra pay is a wonderful idea but that decision should be up to the individual company’s not any politicians.
Politicians are only looking for kickbacks and for votes.
As many have already stated, increasing grocery store employees’ pay will increase food prices for EVERYONE, including these same clerks. If the true intent is to give these people an incentive or reward for their job, perhaps they should be given a discount in their grocery purchases or provide them with better health coverage since these clerks have to pay a monthly required fee to be part of the UFCW.
It is probable that the Union leaders will take advantage to also fill their pockets. They could raise union fees and not work to provide clerks with better benefits. So at the end everyone pays higher prices to help groups in charge to make themselves richer while we continue to struggle more and more the longer this pandemic goes on.
This pandemic has become a good money opportunities for big businesses.
can’t support the idea of the city forcing businesses to pay more. if they city wanted to give those workers a tax break, that might make sense then again who would pay for it.
No – The government has no place in this
Stores will just raise their prices to cover that. So the consumer will pay for it.
Stupid idea, but it might just happen because there are many out there that don’t understand simple business.
So the City Councils determined the definition of a hazard, and soeth declared certain jobs as hazardous. Thankfully, we had them at the beginning to define what jobs, in their gifted minds, were to be considered essential. I wonder, though, if working at a grocery store is hazardous, and worthy of taxing the store ownership $5/hour, would shopping at these stores also be hazardous? What is in it for the shopper, with regard to hazard pay? I wonder what else they will then like to define as hazardous.
Just read that city council in Long Beach did the same thing (only $4.00 instead of $5.00)..grocery chain reacted by shuttering 2 stores in a neighborhood……way to go city council….cost jobs AND took away grocery store from people that need it…
Unlike governmental, a for profit business is just that.
Closing of stores which were marginal, before governmental wage mandate is a wise business decision.
“The best minds are not in government. If any were,
business would hire them away.”
— Ronald Reagan
Most of the time, i bag my own groceries at the Safeway near Todos Santos Park. There are never seems to be enough baggers. i went to Fry’s electronics and couldn’t find a customer service rep, until i walked to the back of the building and they had one cashier?
No, the workers should be immunized but unless they are willing to serve known positive COVID customers they should receive no hazard pay.
Sounds they want to pay more for groceries.
NO. Govt should stay out of it…let free market forces determine compensation levels. If enacted, grocery prices will increase
I say if they are sick with COVID-19 then give them sick leave to cover all the time they are off the job with proof from their medical facilities or doctor. No need to pay them $5.00 an hour.
The grocery chain will close certain stores. Don’t believe me?
https://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2021/02/02/ralphs-food-4-less-to-close-several-long-beach-stores-over-hazard-pay-law/
Not a good idea. We pay to much already and we will be forced to pay more as the cost will be passed on to the customers who shop. Each of us makes a decision to work or be employed and we know what the benefits are at the onset.
I have worked in a union environment and you know what you sign up for.
Put them at the front of the line for a Covid vaccine. I work at home and don’t interact with many people. I will wait for my time.
Covid seems to prove, if nothing else, that the less government is involved in anything, the better.
I think that now that the COVUS pandemic is beginning to locally wind down there will be fewer out there spraying their disease around, consequently a reduced risk to all. Some sort of compensation to public workers might have been in order 3 months ago but not now.
Should premium pay be enacted it should be in the form of a worker’s IRS tax break or stimulus type rebate for those that qualify, not the employer.
I think you should absolutely pay all of these workers what they deserve. They have been working before , at the start and still to this day through the entire pandemic. They see thousands of people in and out of their doors in a single day way more than nurses and doctors and for that I think they should be compensated.They have to deal with the bratty customers that come in. They have to deal with people who think the laws don’t apply to them. They have to touch the fruits and vegetables that they did and constantly remind them that they have to put their mask on. They have to skip family functions and holidays just because they are exposed more than the people who are unemployment sitting at home doing nothing.
Since when can local governments tell a private business what to pay their employees?
1. Stores will close
2. Hours will be cut
3. Consumers suffer
We’ll see how many jobs are lost and store closers this causes. https://www.ktvu.com/news/oakland-passes-ordinance-requiring-hazard-pay-for-front-line-workers
No. All essential workers should however be given 100% of the extra unemployment money that has been furnished on those sitting on their butts at home. It was $600 a week for like 4 months and has been $300-$400 for many weeks since, HUGE sums of money for low income people who are taking large risks by helping the average citizen buy things like FOOD.
Every cent of bonus unemployment should be retroactively given to essential workers who worked during that time.
Let’s see….are grocery store workers getting covid at a higher rate than others? Where is the science on that?
This proposal is perfect for the politicians AND the big grocery stores.
The politician gets to talk about things like “livable wages”, “helping the little guy”, and “equity”. He gets warm fuzzies because he “feels” like its a good thing. The problem is that when you increase cost, then the business must either eat that cost, pass that cost along to the consumer with higher prices, or reduce that cost by eliminating it (in this case, by limiting hours and/or reducing staff). This creates lower profit margins, higher prices, and fewer employees. NOBODY WINS, except for the lucky few who retain their jobs and reap the salary increase.
The big stores win because they force the non-union stores (like Winco) to greatly increase their costs to pay for the raises. If these non-union shops can’t compete then they close down. This reduces the competition for the big store, who then keep prices high because the consumer now has no choice but still needs to eat.
It would not surprise me one iota if the big push for this agenda is being made by the Safeways of the world for just this reason.