Long Beach Ralphs, Food 4 Less stores to close over $4 ‘hero pay’ boost for grocery workers

[black dog]

We all do. So what? The fact is still that you're more likely to attract quality employees if you pay them decently. I've had employers threaten me with the old, "I could get someone to replace you for less money," to which my reply is, "Great! Do it!" Because I'd go on to an employer who appreciates me and they'd be stuck with some $1.99 dumbshit - who wins that little skirmish?

Don't you, as a consumer, prefer dealing with someone who behaves professionally and efficiently? Because I will gladly pay a little extra to not have to deal with Queeftonia or Gnarlsbad in my daily excursions. Who do you want building your house - the professional construction worker or the band of misfits standing outside the 7-11? You're a welder - why should someone pay you instead of getting their cousin's stoner friend to do it for free?

Get my drift?

Im not in the habit of hiring unlicensed / uninsured contractors to do work for me.
Honestly I have never had an employee threaten me to leave over money.
Because the stoner friend has no welding certifications along with business licenses and required insurance. We dont do work that just walks in or pulls in the lot.

Outside of the tools I build we work for local large manufacturing/food companies that dont hire Crackhead Bob to weld pressure sanitary stainless pipe.

 

[vraiblonde]

Im not in the habit of hiring unlicensed / uninsured contractors to do work for me.
Honestly I have never had an employee threaten me to leave over money.
Because the stoner friend has no welding certifications along with business licenses and required insurance. We dont do work that just walks in or pulls in the lot.

Outside of the tools I build we work for local large manufacturing/food companies that dont hire Crackhead Bob to weld pressure sanitary stainless pipe.

The point being that there are several good reasons why you wouldn't hire the cheapest labor.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

I understand that McKays is going to open in the old Shoppers Food Warehouse. This after they closed on Great Mill Road.
Better neighborhood?

Its was just a move to the other end of the shopping center. Kroger renovated the closed KMart store and Hobby Lobby is moving into Krogers old location.

McKays closed probably five years ago or more, I miss that hardware store so much. I was told a lot of the rental equipment and tools from the hardware was stolen. Several years before they closed they shut off the doors at the hardware end because of the theft.

 

[Merlin99]

Its was just a move to the other end of the shopping center. Kroger renovated the closed KMart store and Hobby Lobby is moving into Krogers old location.

McKays closed probably five years ago or more, I miss that hardware store so much. I was told a lot of the rental equipment and tools from the hardware was stolen. Several years before they closed they shut off the doors at the hardware end because of the theft.

I heard something about a crackhead son stealing money and going to Bermuda.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

I heard something about a crackhead son stealing money and going to Bermuda.

He didnt print enough?

 

[Rommey]

I am not familiar with any of the areas these stores are in. Are they in bad areas where shoplifting is high, are shopping carts being taken, employees attitudes suck, poor management?

I grew up in Long Beach and the two stores they referenced in the post #1 article are in typical middle class neighborhoods. Things might have changed a lot over the past few years, but I travelled back to SoCal pretty regularly to visit family and have travelled through those areas and they still had that same middle class feel.

 

[GURPS]

'Hero Pay' for Grocery Workers Is Terrible for Grocery Workers


Many independent stores that remain open say these policies have pushed them deep into the red. One analysis by Capitol Matrix Consulting (and commissioned by the California Grocers Association) found the laws have increased labor costs by an average of 30 percent.

​

Grocery store associations in California and Washington are suing every city that requires "hero pay." They argue that such mandates are preempted by federal labor law and violate the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

The grocery store unions that push these laws and the politicians who pass them scoff at store owners' arguments. Grocery store profits, they note, are way up during the pandemic. They argue that the store closures are merely an intimidation tactic.

Grocery stores "absolutely should be paying this increase," said Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Kortez. "And if they shut down stores, it's just out of spite." It's a strange argument that companies would be greedy enough to resist giving affordable pay increases to their employees but not so greedy that they don't mind closing profitable stores just to make a point.

 

[Hijinx]

'Hero Pay' for Grocery Workers Is Terrible for Grocery Workers


Many independent stores that remain open say these policies have pushed them deep into the red. One analysis by Capitol Matrix Consulting (and commissioned by the California Grocers Association) found the laws have increased labor costs by an average of 30 percent.

​

Grocery store associations in California and Washington are suing every city that requires "hero pay." They argue that such mandates are preempted by federal labor law and violate the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause.

The grocery store unions that push these laws and the politicians who pass them scoff at store owners' arguments. Grocery store profits, they note, are way up during the pandemic. They argue that the store closures are merely an intimidation tactic.

Grocery stores "absolutely should be paying this increase," said Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Kortez. "And if they shut down stores, it's just out of spite." It's a strange argument that companies would be greedy enough to resist giving affordable pay increases to their employees but not so greedy that they don't mind closing profitable stores just to make a point.

The biggest fools in the world would not close down profitable stores.
The pay thing is hurting them but another thing it does is let these people close down stores that are being looted so badly they need to get away from that neighborhood without it being called racist.

 

[Clem72]

That was my question as well ..... sue Kroger why and how

What is likely the case is that these are traditionally borderline profitable stores that may be doing better during the pandemic, like most grocery stores are, but likely will almost certainly return to be unprofitable afterwards. So Kroger can close them and make a big stink about it being due to Hero pay (where normally they do NOT announce local store closures nationally), thereby discouraging similar ordinances in other locations.

Probably suing to force Kroger to demonstrate that their claims that hero pay caused them to be unprofitable is true (hence the cities repeated statements that grocers are making record profits). If the store can't prove they are losing money, then the optics look really bad.

 

[phreddyp]

What is likely the case is that these are traditionally borderline profitable stores that may be doing better during the pandemic, like most grocery stores are, but likely will almost certainly return to be unprofitable afterwards. So Kroger can close them and make a big stink about it being due to Hero pay (where normally they do NOT announce local store closures nationally), thereby discouraging similar ordinances in other locations.

Probably suing to force Kroger to demonstrate that their claims that hero pay caused them to be unprofitable is true (hence the cities repeated statements that grocers are making record profits). If the store can't prove they are losing money, then the optics look really bad.

Looking bad is NOT always a bad thing, making a stand over onerous local laws is an American tradition . Many , many people understand this and will support Kroger and if they don't then screw'em !