Fred Meyer ends Hero Bonus in May for essential workers

MEDFORD, Ore. — Essential workers may lose coronavirus Hero Bonus pay from Fred Meyer.
According to Portland NBC-affiliate KGW, Fred Meyer’s parent company, Kroger, is ending the additional two dollars hourly bonus that it’s been paying since the end of March. A union represents grocery store workers from southern Oregon to southwest Washington. Its president says he’s asked that the bonuses continue until the state of emergency ends for both states. According to the representative, Fred Meyer said it’s ending the hero bonus to ramp up safety measures and testing to keep its employees safe.
“We told them their argument would make more sense if they invested the money did make it safer, and then at that point said because we’ve made it safer to be in the stores we’re going to remove the hazard pay,” UFCW local 555 President, Dan Clay said.
In a statement to NBC5 News Thursday, a Fred Meyer representative did confirm the hero bonus would be ending in mid-May.

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