Grocery Stores Close After Mandated Hero Pay

Kroger Grocery company announced that it will be closing two of its Long Beach stores in response to the city ordinance requiring hero pay.

Long Beach City council recently approved a law that requires large grocers to give their workers a $4 an hour salary boost for their work during COVID-19 pandemic.

“”As a result of the city of Long Beach’s decision to pass an ordinance mandating extra pay for grocery workers, we have made the difficult decision to permanently close long-struggling store locations in Long Beach,” said a company statement. “This misguided action by the Long Beach City Council oversteps the traditional bargaining process and applies to some, but not all, grocery workers in the city.”

The closing stores are the Ralphs at 3380 N. Los Coyotes Diagonal and the Food4Less at 2185 E. South St. Both will close on April 17.