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Stater Bros. restarts hourly wage bonus for fifth time

CEO Pete Van Helden cites ‘challenging year’ for Southern California region

Russell Redman

December 7, 2020

3 Min Read
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Stater Bros. announced two extensions of the $2 hourly wage incentive in April and another two in May since first instituting the pay bonus in March.Stater Bros. Markets

Amid the busy holiday season and a surge of COVID-19 cases in its home state, Stater Bros. Markets is temporarily reinstating its hourly wage incentive for frontline workers.

The Southern California grocer said Friday reinstate that all hourly employees in its store, distribution, transportation and construction operations and corporate officers will receive an extra $2 per hour for three weeks as of the work periods starting Dec. 6 and Dec. 7.

“Throughout this challenging year, our Stater Bros. family has remained committed to serving the needs of our Southern California communities,” Stater Bros. CEO Pete Van Helden said in a statement. “I continue to be proud of our employees who display their extraordinary dedication every single day, and this wage incentive is but a small token of our company’s appreciation of their efforts.”

The move marks the fifth time that Stater Bros. has extended the $2 hourly wage incentive. The San Bernardino, Calif.-based company first instituted the bonus pay in March, with plans to offer it from March 23 through the ensuing four weeks. Then in April, the retailer announced two extensions of the COVID-19 incentive pay, first to May 3 and then to May 17. That was followed by announcements on May 12 for an extension to May 31 and on May 22 for an extension to June 14.

Related:Stater Bros. Markets promotes two to VP positions

Stater Bros.' new hazard pay agreement with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) recognizes the threat faced by grocery associates as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in California and nationwide, the union said. The deal includes member Stater Bros. employees in UFCW Locals 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428 and 1442.

“California grocery workers have been on the frontlines since this pandemic began and continue to put themselves in harm’s way to help families put food on the table during the holidays. This new UFCW agreement is a powerful victory for 18,000 Stater Bros. grocery workers in California," UFCW International President Marc Perrone said in a statement. “UFCW local unions worked with Stater Bros. to provide temporary hazard pay at the start of the pandemic, and these courageous grocery workers have come together once more to reach a new agreement with Stater Bros. reinstating hazard pay as COVID-19 cases skyrocket across California."

All Stater Bros. locations are currently operating from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. daily. Overall, the company has more than 18,000 employees and 170 supermarkets, with its newest location being a 45,204-square-foot store in Ontario, Calif., opened in mid-October. Situated at 3460 E. Ontario Ranch Rd., the new store is Stater Bros.’ fourth location serving the city of Ontario.  

Related:Stater Bros. again extends COVID-19 hourly wage bonus

According to the Johns Hopkins University COVID-19 Resource Center, Los Angeles and surrounding Southern California metropolitan areas are seeing the highest number of new coronavirus cases in the nation. Through midday on Monday, Los Angeles Country had the highest amount of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the United States by county, totaling nearly 450,000, with just over 7,900 deaths.

*Editor's Note: Article updated with comment from UFCW.

For our most up-to-date coverage, visit the coronavirus homepage.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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