Senator, union leader lobby Kroger to restore workers' hazard pay
Kroger earned $1.3 billion in profit during the first three months of 2020 — about 47% more than the company brought in during the same period in 2019.
Grocery stores like it were among the only businesses allowed to stay open during spring shutdowns that paralyzed entire state economies.
Business is good.
But employees aren’t benefiting, Ohio Sen.
Sherrod Brown said Friday.
The hourly “hero pay” and “thank-you pay” bonuses they received in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic ended in June, even if the global crisis didn't.
KROGER PROFITS ARE UP47-PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR BUTSOME WHO HELPED IT GET THEREARE DOWNRIGHT MAD ABOUT PAYAND PROTECTION.WORKERS WANTMANDATES.BUT AS REPORTER LARRYSEWARD SHOWS US... KROGER'SRESPONSE GOT THEM CALLED OUTBY SENATOR SHERROD BROWN ANDOTHERS.çPKGÑ(track)(show kroger broll)cincinnati's largest publiccompany is a target.afterbagging more than billiondollars profit before april...kroger spent almost as much onpandemic protection foremployees and customer.checkout cough shields, signsurging social distancing, freecovid-19 tests and raises.(show graphic )a spokespersontold us... "...investments inassociate wages have increasedour average hourly rate tomore than $15 an hour.
Andwith comprehensive benefitsfactored in... that many ofour competitors do not offer,our average hourly rate growsto over $20 an hour."(sot/ tc30:16)"(larry) what are theymissing?
Why call them out?(sot/ tc 33:28/ marc perrone/UFCW national president)"...because quite frankly theycan afford it."(sot/ tc 33:54/sen.
Sherrod brown/ (d) ohio)"mark's right.
They are theindustry leader..."(track)theleader of UFCW... kroger'semployee union... wantsmandates.hazard pay for everygrocery store worker inamerica as long as COVID-19threat.93 union members havedied from virus... which iswhy he and senators sherrodbrown and elizabeth warrenwant grocers to make customerswear masks.(sot/ tc 31:38/marc perrone/ ucfw nationalpresident)"the entire timewe've been going through thisprocess with kroger and ourother employers they have beenthe most challenging thatwe've had as it relates tomaking mandatory mask mandatesand things like that.
They'vealways said along the the waythey think it's political andthey didn't want to getinvolved in it." (track)theyclaim kroger mostly paidworkers bonuses instead ofhourly raises because it'scheaper.senator brown wantsmore.(sot/ tc 33:54/ sen.sherrod brown/ (d) ohio)"theyset the tone in the industry.they announced they were goingto stop paying the additionalhourly pay.
There's simply noreason as the leader in theindustry as profitable companyas a good corporate citizen ofmy state that they shouldn'tadd this pay for theseworkers."(trackkroger saysit's spent 300-million morethan planned spent 300-millionmore than planned on wages andplan to do more before year'send.larry seward... wcpo...nine news.
