Federal Way expands hazard pay ordinance to smaller grocery stores
Jun 7, 2021, 9:20 AM | Updated: 9:21 am
More local grocery workers will be getting a bump in their paycheck after the Federal Way City Council expanded its hazard pay ordinance to include smaller stores.
The Federal Way City Council voted last week to amend its hazard pay ordinance to cover more smaller grocery stores, according to The Mirror.
Judge dismisses lawsuit that sought to halt Seattle grocery store hazard pay ordinance
The amended ordinance changes the definition of a “small grocery” business to stores that range between 3,500 to 25,000 square feet. The council also set up a grant program using money from the American Rescue Plan so small grocery businesses can cover the cost of paying an extra $3 an hour.
Councilmembers will vote whether or not to continue hazard pay in August, following a review of the program in July.
Other hazard pay ordinances for grocery workers are in effect across Washington state due in part to the increased risk they have faced as frontline workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Such ordinances are in place in Seattle, unincorporated King County, Edmonds, Olympia, and Burien.
