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March 1, 2021 PAGE 2 1 t'''t "%k cga Specific to ordinance language, there are numerous policy and legal issues which unnecessarily single out the grocery industry and create significant burdens. The ordinancefails to recognize the current efforts grocers are making to support their employees and requires grocers add significant costs on to existing employee benefit programs. Furthermore, passing this ordinance improperly inserts the city into employee -employer contractual relationships. The ordinance also ignores other essential workers, including city employees, that have similar interaction with the public. Taken in whole, this ordinance is clearly intended to impact only specific stores within a single industry and fails to recognize the contributions of all essential workers. Based on language specifics, this ordinance misses a genuine effort to promote the health, safety and welfare of the public. Emergency passage of the ordinance also ignores any reasonable effort for compliance by impacted stores, as several grocery stores will be operating atthe time of passage. By implementing the ordinance immediately there is literally no time to communicate to employees, post notices, adjust payroll processes, and other necessary steps as required by California law. Coupled with the varied enforcement mechanisms and significant remedies outlined, the passage of this ordinance would putstores into immediate jeopardy. This scenario is yet another negative consequence resulting from the lack of outreach to grocers and the grocery industry to understand real world impacts. Grocery workers have demonstrated exemplary effort to keep grocery stores open for Santa Ana. This why the grocery industry has provided significant safety measures and historic levels of benefits that include additional pay and bonuses. I is also why vaccinating grocery workers has been ourfirst priority. Unfortunately, this ordinance is a significant overreach of policy and jurisdictional control. This will result in negative consequences forworkers and consumers thatwill only be compounded by the pandemic. We respectfully implore the Council to not move forward with the grocery worker pay ordinance at this time. We encourage you to recognize and understand the impacts of this ordinance on workers and the community by accepting our invitation to work cooperatively with Santa Ana grocers. If Council must bring the ordinance forward for a vote at this time we askyou to oppose its passage. CGA is submitting additional information from our legal counsel foryour consideration. Thankyou foryour consideration and we lookforward to being able to combatthe pandemic in partnership with the City of Santa Ana. Sincerely, Timothy ame7 s California Grocers Ass i on CC: Members, Santa Ana City Council City Clerk, City of Santa Ana CALIFORNIA GROCERS ASSOCIATION 11005 12th Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, CA 95814 P: (916) 448-3545 1 F: (916) 448-2793 1 www.cagrocers.com