Federal Judge Mulls California City’s Hourly Hazard Pay Law (1)

A California Grocers Association bid to block a city of Long Beach law requiring their members to pay workers an extra $4 an hour during the coronavirus pandemic is now in the hands of a federal judge.

U.S. District Judge Otis Wright said his decision ”will follow very shortly,” after 90 minutes of argument in Los Angeles federal court on Tuesday. “We are in uncharted waters,” he said.

The association contends the Long Beach law unreasonably singles out specific employees for additional pay while ignoring workers outside the grocery industry. The ordinance, effective for 120 days, covers employers with 300 ...