Oakland passes ordinance requiring 'hazard pay' for front-line workers
File photo shows a grocery store employee stocking shelves.
One of the Bay Area’s biggest cities passed an emergency ordinance Tuesday that forces large retail businesses to give their front-line workers "hazard pay" during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Oakland City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a pay increase that boosts workers pay by $5 an hour, according to Councilmember Noel Gallo. The workers will primarily be at grocery chains.
Labor unions said the move is long overdue because the workers daily interaction with the public puts them at greater risk of getting COVID-19.
The San Jose City Council is also taking up the same emergency ordinance at its meeting Tuesday.
The city of Berkeley may consider similar action.
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