Calif. Federal Judge Denies Grocers' Bid for Preliminary Injunction in ‘Hero Pay’ Case

LOS ANGELES — A California federal judge has denied California Grocers Association’s request for a preliminary injunction barring the City of Long Beach, Calif. from enforcing a recently passed ordinance requiring payment of an additional $4 an hour to supermarket workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Feb. 25 order, Judge Otis D. Wright II of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California said CGA has not shown a likelihood that it will succeed on its claims.

On Jan. 19, the City of Long Beach passed the “Premium Pay for Grocery Workers Ordinance,” which requires employers to …