In a special meeting, Council passed an updated version of an ordinance requiring grocery workers be paid hazard pay during the pandemic.
Grocery Worker Hazard Pay Approved
Council adopted an updated ordinance that requires grocery workers be paid $5 per hour hazard pay during the pandemic. Burien City Council passed a previous version of this ordinance during their February 1 meeting. Council voted to rescind the previous version of the ordinance in favor of the new ordinance.
The new ordinance applies to grocery businesses that have 250 or more employees worldwide and are primarily engaged in selling groceries. It does not apply to convenience stores, food marts, or farmers markets. Employees are defined as hourly workers employed by a grocery business and are unable to work remotely.
It is estimated that approximately 600–700 employees could benefit from this new ordinance.
The new law goes into effect February 17, 2021 and remains in effect as long as Governor’s Inslee’s state of emergency declaration is in effect. Burien joins more than six other cities on the West Coast who are considering or who have passed similar ordinances.