Irvine considers grocery worker retention rules

Irvine City Council members are set to consider an ordinance Tuesday that would require certain smaller grocery stores to keep workers for 90 days after a sale or ownership change, Voice of OC reported.

The proposal would extend worker retention rules to stores below the 15,000-square-foot threshold already covered by state law, putting Irvine in the middle of a broader Orange County debate over grocery labor protections and food access.

Voice of OC reported that the proposed Irvine ordinance would apply to grocery stores with less than 15,000 square feet of retail space and more than 300 employees nationwide. If a covered store changes ownership, the new operator would have to keep existing workers for 90 days.

State law already imposes retention requirements on grocery stores larger than 15,000 square feet, according to Voice of OC. Irvine’s proposal is aimed at stores just below that cutoff as the grocery business shifts toward smaller-format locations.

“Current trends in the development of retail grocery are tending toward smaller stores with less retail space and more dining space,” a city staff memo said, according to Voice of OC. The memo also said, “The City has an interest in ensuring the welfare of the residents of these communities through the maintenance of health and safety standards in grocery establishments,”

Violations under the proposal could bring a $1,000 fine for each affected worker and an additional $250 per day for each employee who lost a job before the end of the required retention period, Voice of OC reported.

Andrew Hausermann, organizing director for UFCW 324, backed the proposal. “We’re really excited that the Irvine City Council is taking this issue on,” Hausermann said, according to Voice of OC.

Nate Rose, spokesperson for the California Grocers Association, criticized local retention ordinances. “It really in no way helps expand food access for communities, and at the end of the day, food access and affordability are the top concerns throughout all of California,” Rose said in a phone interview Monday afternoon, according to Voice of OC.

The issue follows a broader history of grocery worker retention policy, including a Los Angeles ordinance passed in 2005 and statewide legislation enacted in 2015, Voice of OC reported.