This afternoon the King County Council voted 8-1 to pass a $4/hour Essential Grocery Store Worker Hazard Pay measure. This ordinance will cover large grocery stores in unincorporated King County, which are stores that are usually left out of city-level ordinances like those passed in Seattle and Burien. Grocery store workers at locations in unincorporated King County will now earn an extra $4/hour until the end of the county’s COVID state of emergency.

“Watching this ordinance pass today made me really emotional,” said Jeannette Randall, UFCW 21 executive board member and shop steward at the Roxbury Safeway, a store that would be covered by this ordinance. “This vote and passing of this ordinance shows that local government can help improve the lives of workers. This legislation passing shows that King County Council cares about the vital service grocery workers provide for our community."

Grocery store workers in unincorporated areas in King County organized to let the county council know what it’s been like to work on the front lines of the pandemic, maintaining our community’s access to food throughout this global crisis. Workers contacted council members and spoke out in public comment at council meetings, sharing stories of their own and their family members’ illnesses, the fear of showing up to work when it doesn’t feel safe, and the courage it has taken to face a constant risk of exposure just to keep our neighbors and families fed and supplied.

Grocery stores have made profits not just during the COVID pandemic, but because of it, as people’s shopping habits were forced to change while schools, restaurants, and many workplaces were shut down or limited. Today, King County Council Members like Rod Dembowski, who sponsored this ordinance, and Dave Upthegrove, who co-sponsored it, along with King County Executive Dow Constantine, have shown their support for the county’s essential grocery store workers.

Grocery Workers’ Voices at King County Council:

“It’s been so hard watching my dad’s health decline after contracting COVID-19. The hardest part is knowing I might be the one that exposed him to this disease because of my constant contact with people at work.” -Marcie Griffin, Roxbury Safeway

“I have severe lung damage due to COVID-19 and had to spend months on an inhaler to help with the symptoms. My daughter still coughs profusely and sounds like she’s been smoking for years. These are some of the impacts this pandemic has had on my family.” -Tiffany Melligan, Roxbury Safeway

“We all need help right now. We are barely making it on the wage we are given, and we need help to support our families where most of our children are not in school. We need the support of our companies.” -Lindsay Young, Kent Fred Meyer

Contact your councilmembers!

Voted in Favor:

• Rod Dembowski: 206-477-1001, rod.dembowski@kingcounty.gov

• Girmay Zahilay: 206-477-1002, girmay.zahilay@kingcounty.gov

• Kathy Lambert: 206-477-1003, kathy.lambert@kingcounty.gov

• Jeanne Kohl-Welles: 206-477-1004, jeanne.kohl-welles@kingcounty.gov

• Dave Upthegrove: 206-477-1005, dave.upthegrove@kingcounty.gov

• Claudia Balducci: 206-477-1006, claudia.balducci@kingcounty.gov

• Pete von Reichbauer: 206-477-1007, pete.vonreichbauer@kingcounty.gov

• Joe McDermott: 206-477-1008, joe.mcdermott@kingcounty.gov

Voted Against:

• Reagan Dunn: 206-477-1009, reagan.dunn@kingcounty.gov