Don’t Play Politics with Fresno Jobs
On April 22, the Fresno City Council is considering an ordinance mandating $3 an hour in premium pay on top of regular wages for some grocery and retail employees — but not all frontline essential workers.
This plan for government-mandated premium pay is counterproductive for workers and hurts Fresno consumers and neighborhoods.
- Destroys Jobs: 66,000 Californians could lose their jobs if these mandates are enacted statewide. With one of the highest unemployment rates in state, Fresno families can’t afford to play politics with jobs.
- Increases the Cost of Living: Premium pay mandates will add about $400 to the cost of food and household supplies for the typical family of four.
- Hurts Neighborhoods: This mandate can be the final blow to stores under financial strain — forcing many to close and creating voids for the communities that rely on them.
As Fresno makes significant strides in reducing Covid-19 cases and vaccinating residents, now is not the time to jeopardize economic recovery and put more families out of work by enacting a counterproductive premium pay mandate.
We Oppose Fresno’s Premium Pay Mandate:
- California African American Chamber of Commerce
- California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce
- Central Valley Business Federation
- Central Valley Taxpayers Association
- Fresno Chamber of Commerce
- Fresno County Farm Bureau
- Family Business Association of California
“This short-sighted government mandate is estimated to affect 65 stores in Fresno, putting hundreds of jobs at risk when families are already struggling just to get by.”
~ Scott Miller, President
Fresno Chamber of Commerce
“Latinos should be concerned… This plan will put further financial strain on all families, and particularly Latino families, by increasing grocery costs at a time we simply cannot afford it.”
~ Jesse Gonzalez, President
Si Se Puede for Fresno, Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties