Montebello Mandates Temporary “Hero Pay” for Grocery and Drug Store Workers

At its January 27 Council Meeting, the Montebello City Council voted unanimously to adopt an Urgency Ordinance which requires grocery and drug stores to provide premium pay for their employees performing work in the City of Montebello, and for 180 days from the date of adoption of the ordinance, effective immediately. The Ordinance will be brought back for a second reading at the February 10 Council Meeting.

The vote was modeled on actions under consideration or adopted by other local municipalities and was introduced by a motion from newly elected Councilmember Scarlet Peralta. Montebello’s Urgency Ordinance requires employers to offer “Hero Pay” consisting of an additional $4.00 per hour to employees of certain grocery and drug store retail operations in Montebello. The ordinance applies to stores operating within Montebello that are publicly traded or have at least 300 employees nationwide and more than 15 employees per grocery or drug store location in the City.

“It is essential we provide Hero Pay for the grocery and drug retail workers who are among the heroes of this pandemic,” said Councilmember Peralta during the Council meeting. “With the burden of this crisis affecting the most vulnerable communities, my hope is that this ordinance helps essential workers that live in Montebello and surrounding areas.”