Supermarkets and retail pharmacies like CVS in Santa Ana will soon be required to have an employee monitoring and helping out at the self-checkout kiosks under a new city ordinance.
It comes as more Southern California cities start to regulate self-checkout kiosks at supermarkets with support from union officials saying the laws will curb retail theft and support workers while grocers argue it will only raise consumer prices.
So far, Officials in Long Beach and Costa Mesa have adopted their own laws regulating the self-checkout aisles while Anaheim City Council members earlier this year directed staff to come back with an ordinance for a vote.
Mike Lyster, an Anaheim city spokesman, said in a Tuesday email officials there are still considering an ordinance, but there is no date on when it would come back for the council.
[Read: Another Orange County City Considers Mandating Staffing at Self-Checkout Aisles]
On Tuesday, Santa Ana City Council members voted unanimously to adopt the first reading of an ordinance establishing item limits, restrictions and staffing ratios for self checkout kiosks at local supermarkets and retail drugstore chains.
Mayor Valerie Amezcua, who worked with City Manager Alvaro Nuñez to bring the ordinance forward, said she stopped shopping at a store that only has self-checkout, adding the law was about ensuring public safety.
“It’s very uncomfortable for me and when I need assistance I have to wait,” Amezcua said at Tuesday’s meeting, adding she worked and met with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324 on the ordinance.
“I want to make sure our Santa Ana residents go home safely and they don’t put themselves in danger because, again, the quality of their life matters to me.”
Courtney Carranza, director of Government Affairs for Albertsons and Vons, spoke against the ordinance, arguing the ordinance won’t curb retail theft, adding the lanes are already monitored and that the kiosks help keep checkstand lanes short.
“The consistent pattern we see is individuals walking out through the front door with unpaid merchandise, often bypassing checkout completely. The narrative that self checkout drives stuff simply isn’t supported by our real world experience and data,” she said at the meeting over Zoom.
The ordinance sets a one employee for every three self-checkout kiosks ratio, limits shoppers to 15 items at the self-service stands and bans them from buying cigarettes and alcohol – something already barred by state law.
Violations of the proposed law could result in employees or customers suing the stores with penalties of up to $1,000 per employee per day.
Councilman Phil Bacerra said the ordinance wasn’t unreasonable.
“Sometimes I almost feel like the grocery stores don’t think Santa Ana needs staff, and that’s not appropriate. I think we deserve the staff and unfortunately, the reason why we have laws is because sometimes we have to codify what should be already expected,” he said.
Councilman Johnathan Hernandez said grocery workers across the region have been organizing and advocating for these types of ordinances and officials should support workers.
“The automation of union jobs is something that is going to cripple our economy. It is important that when workers organize we stand with them and we support them,” he said.
A handful of members of the union came out to speak in favor of the ordinance saying it will benefit workers and address chronic understaffing and curb retail theft at local stores.
Jose Perez, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 324, said there has been an expansion of self-checkout machines in an effort to cut jobs and the ordinance will protect workers, their jobs and improve customers’ experience.
“Workers who once staffed registers are now expected to monitor 8,10, or even 12 machines at once. That’s not efficiency, that’s understaffing, and this has real consequences,” Perez said.
“It leads to increased theft. It puts workers in unsafe situations, and it creates frustration for customers, especially seniors and families who need assistance. This ordinance is about balance. We are asking for common sense standards.”
Grocers argue the ordinance will only increase prices for customers and city officials have not sought input from them on the ordinance.
Tim James, director of Government Relations for California Grocers Association, tried to speak out against the ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting, but Amezcua denied him at the public comment podium saying he did not fill out a speaker card on time.
“If I make an exception for you, I have to make an exception for everybody else. I apologize,” Amezcua said.
James shot back.
“This is consistent with what we’ve experienced with the city so far.”
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org.