Orange not following other Orange County cities in providing hazard pay

Although some Orange County cities have been voting to provide hazard pay for grocery workers, the city of Orange has not discussed the topic. Unsplash

Alfonso Rosas, a junior business administration major at Chapman University, started working at a Whole Foods Market in Tustin as a cashier just a few months ago. Luckily for him, pandemic insanity has slowed. But Rosas still has to deal with maskless customers and possible exposure to COVID-19 on a daily basis.

“It’s not crazy anymore, but there are still some customers who get mad about wearing masks, which I think is ridiculous because I believe masks are very important,” Rosas said. “We had one guest who threw a very big fit about wearing a mask, which happens every month.”

To help compensate for the risks grocery workers like Rosas face, several Orange County cities have passed an extra $4 per hour temporary hazard pay for grocery and pharmacy workers. The Irvine City Council, the first Orange County city to pass a hazard pay ordinance in 2021, voted 3-2 to pass the ordinance Feb. 9, followed by Santa Ana, Buena Park and Costa Mesa. 

When asked whether the City of Orange would adopt a similar ordinance, Orange Mayor Mark Murphy told The Panther that the topic hasn’t been considered or discussed. One public comment at the March 9 Orange City Council meeting requested hazard pay, but Murphy voiced strong opposition to the concept.

“Putting another requirement on top of businesses right now is the last thing you’d want to do,” Murphy told The Panther. “Businesses usually thrive best when government is minimized and stays out of the way ... so unless the city was going to put up the money, which we do not have and would not consider, I would never be a party to that sort of restrictions to businesses.”

The Irvine ordinance to provide hazard pay for some grocery and pharmacy workers, which will last 120 days, was presented to the council by Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan. Khan referenced a petition, signed by more than 600 Irvine grocery and drug retail workers, which was presented to the city council to urge the passing of hazard pay. 

“Our city has always taken the stand that we expect our businesses to do the right thing,” Khan said during a Feb. 9 Irvine City Council meeting. “I don’t want to be in a position to mandate anything, but it is my job to protect the well-being of not only our residents and businesses, but also our workers.”

Despite the council’s intent, some groups like the California Grocers Association (CGA) voiced opposition to hazard pay, claiming that the stores won’t be able to afford the extra $4 per hour cost. Tim James, the director of local government relations for CGA, said the ordinance would lead to higher grocery store prices, limited operating hours and worker hours and possible layoffs and store closures.

“The ordinance would mandate grocery stores provide additional pay beyond what is economically feasible, which would severely impact store viability,” James wrote in a public comment to the Irvine City Council.

But Rosas, who hopes his store may include hazard pay soon, emphasizes the need for that type of financial support for essential workers. As of March 14, the Tustin City Council has not approved a hazard pay ordinance.

“A couple other Whole Foods Markets have been getting hazard pay, but ours isn’t,” Rosas said. “We are essential workers, and it would be very much appreciated under today’s economy. We are one of the people at the most risk of getting COVID-19 … It would be pretty helpful to get more compensation for having to work in such an environment.”