66,000 Californians could lose their jobs if these mandates are enacted statewide. 1 Five grocery stores were forced to close because of local premium pay mandates. California has the second highest unemployment rate in the country 2 and at the peak of the recession, it reached 20% or more for Asian, Black, Latino and other Californians of color. 3 1 “ Consumer and Community Impacts of Hazard Pay Mandates ,” Capitol Matrix Consulting, January 2021 2 “ Current Unemployment Rates for States and Historical Highs/Lows ,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2021 3 “ COVID-19 Recession at Six Months: California’s Unemployment Remains High ,” California Budget and Policy Center, September 2020

Don’t Play Politics with Jobs

Government-Mandated Premium Pay is Counterproductive for Workers, Consumers and Communities

City and county officials have taken the political bait and passed ordinances forcing premium pay mandates on retailers, neighborhood grocery stores and pharmacies — without considering the full impact on jobs, the cost of living and our communities.

With more than half of all eligible Californians receiving at least one dose of the vaccine, daily case rates declining and the state fully reopening, now is not the time to jeopardize economic recovery and put more families out of work.

Destroys JobsMike Silber2021-06-01T14:29:52-04:00

Destroys Jobs

66,000 Californians could lose their jobs if these mandates are enacted statewide.¹

Five grocery stores were forced to close because of local premium pay mandates.

California has the second highest unemployment rate in the country² and at the peak of the recession, it reached 20% or more for Asian, Black, Latino and other Californians of color.³

¹ “Consumer and Community Impacts of Hazard Pay Mandates,” Capitol Matrix Consulting, January 2021
² “Current Unemployment Rates for States and Historical Highs/Lows,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2021
³ “COVID-19 Recession at Six Months: California’s Unemployment Remains High,” California Budget and Policy Center, September 2020

Increases the Cost of LivingMike Silber2021-03-18T17:35:40-04:00

Increases the Cost of Living

Premium pay mandates will add about $400 to the annual cost of food and household supplies for the typical family of four in California.⁴

Driving up the cost of living for just about everything we need and use, like food, diapers and clothes, will disproportionately impact those who can least afford it.

⁴ “Consumer and Community Impacts of Hazard Pay Mandates,” Capitol Matrix Consulting, January 2021

Hurts Our CommunitiesMike Silber2021-06-01T14:31:20-04:00

Hurts Our Communities

These mandates can be the final blow to stores under pressure – forcing many to close and creating voids for the communities that rely on them.

The loss of a retail grocery store or local pharmacy changes a community, forcing our neighbors to walk, drive or bus even further to buy affordable, nutritious food or get access to medications.

Losing a local pharmacy will put our communities at a disadvantage as we will rely on them to maintain the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines by providing booster shots.