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After heated public comments, Santa Ana council advances self‑checkout staffing standards as part of consent items
Summary
Council advanced an ordinance (item 20) establishing staffing and operational standards for self‑service checkouts, following a divergent public comment period in which grocery workers and unions supported the measure and business groups opposed it; the item was included in the consent calendar and approved.
The Santa Ana City Council on May 20 included an ordinance establishing staffing and operational standards for self‑service checkout lanes (item 20) on the consent calendar and approved it as part of items 5–20.
Public comments on the measure were sharply divided. Grocery workers and the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 324 urged the council to adopt staffing requirements to protect jobs, safety and service in stores. "Passing this ordinance tonight comes down to four critical goals: protecting good local jobs, improving safety for both workers and customers, reducing retail theft and ensuring staff checkout services remain available," said Jose Perez, president of UFCW Local 324.
Business representatives, including the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce and the California Grocers Association, opposed the ordinance and urged additional outreach to grocers before a final action. "There is no conceivable way you can make a fair and informed decision tonight," Tim James of the California Grocers Association said during a Zoom comment, asking the council to delay the second reading.
At least one business representative said similar ordinances in other cities had not delivered the promised results and cautioned about operational costs. The Santa Ana Chamber's government affairs liaison told the council the proposal could threaten small businesses already operating on thin margins.
Council included item 20 in the approved consent calendar (items 5–20) during the consent vote; the body approved the consent items with items 6 and 8 postponed and item 17 pulled for separate consideration. Staff noted the ordinance will return with implementation details and the second reading as required by municipal procedure.
Provenance: topicintro SEG 1260; topfinish SEG 2414
