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1876 - 223-foot Soledad train tunnel completed; last tunnel on line linking L.A. & S.F. [story]
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| Tuesday, Feb 23, 2021
Hero Pay
A poster bearing COVID-19 preventative measures greets shoppers as they enter the Ralphs Super Market in Castaic on Monday morning, March 16, 2020. Dan Watson/The Signal

 

Grocery and drug store workers are set to get “hero pay” after the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the urgency ordinance during Tuesday’s regular meeting.

The motion, which passed 4-1, is expected to temporarily require grocery and drug retailers in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, such as in Castaic and Stevenson Ranch, to pay their workers an additional $5 per hour in “hero pay,” or hazard wage.

County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose 5th District includes the Santa Clarita Valley, was the only one to vote “no,” doing so because of concern with the unintended consequences.

“I am more concerned that we are freely inserting ourselves into financial and accounting decisions made by private companies,” Barger said, adding that these businesses currently report a slim 2.2% profit margin. “I would hate to think that we’re driving the very businesses that we fought so hard to locate in unincorporated areas, many of which are our working-class neighborhoods, out of business, or worse yet, employees, losing hours, or possibly their job.”

She also mentioned that the motion only represents a small sliver of the essential workforce, adding that it’s unfair to select one sector over others.

The approved ordinance is set to apply to store chains that are publicly traded or employ at least 300 workers nationwide and more than 10 per store, and is expected to be in effect for 120 days.

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LOS ANGELES COUNTY HEADLINES
Friday, Jul 26, 2024
The California Department of Transportation announced the southbound Interstate 5 will be reduced to one or two lanes from two miles north of Templin Highway (near the Whitaker Sand Shed) north of Castaic to Lake Hughes Road overnights Monday, July 29 through Friday, Aug. 2 for paving work.
Thursday, Jul 25, 2024
Building on California’s ongoing work and unprecedented investments to address the decades-long issue of homelessness, California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Thursday ordering state agencies and departments to adopt clear policies that urgently address homeless encampments while  respecting the dignity and well-being of all Californians.
Wednesday, Jul 24, 2024
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health cautions residents who are planning to visit the below Los Angeles County beaches to avoid swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters:
Wednesday, Jul 24, 2024
The Los Angeles County Departments of Mental Health and Public Health have centralized access to mental health and substance use services into one 24/7 call center at (800) 854-7771.
Tuesday, Jul 23, 2024
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved Tuesday a motion introduced by Supervisor Kathryn Barger and co-authored by Chair Lindsey P. Horvath that directs the creation of an independent Ethics Commission and ethics reform measures to improve transparency and create greater oversight in County government.

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