Sacramento, CA – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council applauded the California State Assembly for passing SB 1089 (Smallwood-Cuevas), which will help mitigate the harms from abrupt disruptions in access to food and prescription medication, especially in underserved or at-risk African American communities, by requiring 45-day advance notifications, unless a business is covered by the California WARN Act. Those businesses must then give a 60-day advance notification to the affected community, employees, and other stakeholders, before the closure of a grocery store or pharmacy with five or more employees. The bill requires a 30-day notice for a grocery store or pharmacy that has five employees or less.
At a time when major grocery stores are trying to consolidate so they can control more of the markets and set pricing for huge swaths of the country, UFCW underscores the urgent need for California to prioritize working people and communities.
The following statement may be attributed to John Frahm, president, UFCW Local 5:
“Grocery store and drug-retail workers often already live paycheck to paycheck, so imagine what goes through their minds when they come to work one day and learn their store is closing. How will they pay their bills? How will patients get their prescriptions? Grocery stores and pharmacies are cornerstones of our communities, and when they close abruptly, it has ripple effects throughout all of our lives. We’re proud the Assembly saw the benefits of SB 1089 and urge Governor Gavin Newsom to sign the bill into law to mitigate adverse effects of store closures.”
SB 1089 is part of the 2024 California Legislative Black Caucus Reparations Priority Bill Package.
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The United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council is the regional coordinating body of 11 UFCW local unions representing over 200,000 workers in California, Arizona and Nevada. The Council is a part of the 1.3 million-member strong UFCW International Union. UFCW members are standing together to improve the lives of workers, families, and communities.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2024
Contact: Jenna Thompson, 949.246.1620, [email protected]