A new city ordinance granting hazardous duty pay to employees of Burien’s supermarket grocery stores was passed on Monday night (Feb. 8), replacing one approved the week before.

Ordinance No. 757 was approved by a vote of 5 yes, 0 no, with 2 abstentions.

Last week, the Burien City Council passed an ordinance that granted hazard pay of an additional $5 per hour for workers in grocery stores while the COVID-19 virus is raging through the city. The passage came swiftly after several testimonies from proponents.

Prior to Council action last Monday (Feb. 1), individuals and labor unions hard pressed the city to pass the law granting hazard pay to workers who maintain their jobs during the pandemic.

Old, new ordinances
The ordinance passed last week (Ordinance No. 756), should not have been approved because it was “only a draft and was not properly prepared to be adopted,” the city said. The passage came after a closed door executive session, presumably to discuss the merits of the new version.

The new ordinance – which adds $5/hour to grocery workers pay – will be effective starting Feb. 17, 2021.