Berkeley City Council acts on grocery store hazard pay, ban on new cars
Daniel R. Blume/Creative Commons
In its first meeting Tuesday, Berkeley City Council took steps toward banning the sale of new fossil fuel-powered vehicles citywide, among other action items. (Photo by Daniel R. Blume under CC BY-SA 2.0)
Last Updated January 21, 2021
Berkeley City Council took steps toward guaranteeing COVID-19 hazard pay to grocery store employees and banning the sale of new fossil fuel-powered vehicles citywide at its first meeting back from winter recess Tuesday.
During the meeting, the council approved a referral calling on city staff to draft an emergency ordinance requiring grocery stores to provide an additional $5 an hour in hazard pay for employees. According to item author Councilmember Terry Taplin, the ordinance would apply to stores with at least 300 employees and remain in effect for 100 days or until Alameda County returns to yellow tier COVID-19 status.