In a watershed moment for essential workers across the country, the city of Oxnard implemented a gratitude pay program for all grocery and drug retail workers in the city.
On a 6-0 vote, the city council allocated funds to give a one-time payment of $1000 dollars to every worker in the industry, both part time and full-time, union and non-union, regardless of store size. The United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 770 (UFCW) along with the Central Coast Labor Council (CCLC), worked with the council and city staff to increase the funding from $2 million to $2.5 million.
In this moment, Oxnard became the first city in the United States to utilize the American Rescue Plan Act (ARA) fund to give direct premium pay to workers who have risked their lives throughout the pandemic. From March 2020 to now, through stay at home orders and first, second and third waves of this pandemic, these frontline workers have consistently gone to work despite the ongoing threat to their health and the health of their loved ones.
With this gratitude program, Oxnard has set a precedent for the rest of the nation. Frontline workers across the country have the opportunity to receive premium gratitude pay from the ARA through their city legislative bodies, with Oxnard leading the way. This means that potentially millions of workers will have the opportunity to receive billions of dollars nationwide.
Thank you to Councilmember Vianey Lopez for bringing this before the council, along with the Mayor and councilmembers for taking the steps to support frontline grocery and drug retail workers in not only our community, but, as it turns out, in our country.