The Antelope Valley Times

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Op-ed: Vallarta Supermarket employees are outraged

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[Author has chosen to remain anonymous]

Vallarta Supermarket employees are outraged as the supermarket decides to stop the $2 hourly pay boost during Covid-19. As the spread of Covid-19 rises in Los Angeles County, the fear and stress of being infected rises within frontline employees. Vallarta Supermarkets is a prime example of that.

Vallarta Supermarkets has over 50 locations in Southern California and caters to a growing Latino population. The supermarket chain recently closed down their Canoga Park location due to an employee testing positive for Covid-19. Despite an employee testing positive, the supermarket chain has not taken any extra steps in safeguarding other employees at their many other locations. As a concerned citizen, it is extremely frustrating to see large companies taking advantage and consciously disregarding the safety of their employees who are in a very dangerous line of work on a daily basis.

With supermarkets being one of the few businesses still operable, they are seeing a spike in sales as communities continue to panic buy causing supermarkets to meet their monthly quota in a matter of days. The increased profits make the $2 boost not only feasible but with a possibility to further increase the low wages being paid to their employees.

Supermarkets have not shown a decline in sales since the start of the coronavirus outbreak and despite that Vallarta Supermarkets seems to be taking advantage of the dire situation the population is in by price gouging.

Many social media users have gone online expressing their outrage regarding the greediness displayed by the supermarket chain. We already know that the supply is available so, at what point is it okay for a business to take advantage of people’s fear and necessity by raising their prices on staple items to increase profits?

Health officials have warned us that the worst is yet to come which raises fear and anxiety in employees who are not able to stay home. With a large population of people out of employment during these times, many working class families with frontline employees are depending on that income to stay afloat during these troubled times.

Vallarta Supermarkets needs to properly compensate employees and provide a safe environment for its employees. Vallarta and other supermarkets need to take this situation seriously and take extra precautions with the employees that are risking their health to make it possible for consumers like us to shop safely.

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Filed Under: Opinion

53 comments for "Op-ed: Vallarta Supermarket employees are outraged"

  1. … having doubled price on bread, having tripled price on egg and butter, left us no choice but lodge two special circumstance price gouging complaints with the state attorney general, against our local Vallarta –

    • Very intelligent. You dazzle us with your brilliance and substantive argument. Fools like you make my job easier.

      • Have you read some of your “brilliant” diatribes, TRUMPIST-19?

        Please don’t make me look them up.

        • TRUMPIST-19, LOL, good one.

          If you look them up, you can enjoy them again, admit I was right and you were WRONG, and be awestruck by my brilliance one more time, you lucky fellow.

      • Here’s one of your “brilliant” excerpts, TRUMPIST-19

        “Demo-rats are weak, stupid and dangerous on foreign policy (not that you illegal aliens give a damn). They want to gut and destroy the military and give the money to illegals.

        ******* VOTE REPUBLICAN ******** VOTE GARCIA *******

        CAPS add that insane touch , if you will.

        You just can’t win, can you?

      • T#1: You’re a bloviating, narcissistic, bullying, verbally abusive person that would shrink back into the corner of your room when challenged in person. You and those like you always do. The only outlet you have is to glorify yourself on this forum, when in fact you are an insecure weakling.

        • You don’t know anything about me, you oversensitive, mealy-mouthed puke. That just means I’m getting to your weak spots, or quite a few. Gen. Patton would slap you silly for your childish overreaction to my truths.

          Easy for you keyboard warriors to come out of nowhere with your venom, but where are your arguments or facts. Just your little feelings hurt?

          Stick around and play if you have the stones and we’ll see what you got. Just know that I’m taller, stronger and smarter than you, troglodyte, and I’m glad I p!$$ you off. LMAO.

          • I’m just stating the facts T#1. You’re to obtuse to make me mad, and you don’t have any truths, just inane opinions. You are the very definition of a keyboard warrior alllll day long, every day. BTW, you never present any facts, but you keep lying to yourself and trying to pass yourself off as a truth teller.

      • T#1: I fact checked all your comments that you call facts, and every one was slanted in your favor by leaving out the WHOLE story; every one T#1. You’re evil but no genius.

        • Are you obsessed with me? See me behind every corner? Go to sleep dreaming of outwitting The Master? Figuring ways to thwart me? Wish that you had my intelligence and wit? Jealous of my brilliance? Ashamed that you have no life or purpose if you don’t read my posts? Does your same-sex domestic partner murmur my name at night?

          It’s called Trumpist#1 Derangement Syndrome, and you got a terminal case of it, LOL.

    • You joined two statements together that are very true.
      However, just because Trump lies does not mean he is the cause of the people dying per se.
      We have to give credit to their own inability to make judgement calls, like making chlorine gas, drinking fish tank cleaner, believing in Goop and other products like that line, not be able to discern that when Trump says heat kills the virus that he misread and 130 degrees is very uncomfortable to endure for the mount of time it takes to kill the nasty bug.
      Stuff like that.

  3. @Trumpist#1 @Ignacio P.
    Very original. Bolshevism, commies, socialists, Cuba, Venezuela.
    I see you both touched on all the bases from the right-wing blowhard 2020 talking points handbook.
    Questioning my reading comprehension? My original comment was directly related to the behavior of Vallarta Supermarkets & how that reflects American style capitalism. Using Communist China as an example. Cute. The Chinese economy is capitalism and socialism. The Chinese state plays a massive role in the Chinese economy.
    Y’all couldn’t be that easy. Buy a dictionary, read a book, take a class.
    Why do you have so much time to post on the internet? My lazy-loser liberal capitalism hating azz has been working 2(two) jobs in essential services for the last 3 months. Can you say the same?

  4. America capitalism always exploits. Predatory vultures, one and all. May they all get the Coronavirus.

    • Capitalism got you that phone and or computer you typed your remark on. It also gets you the clothes on your back, food in your belly, vehicle, furniture etc….

      • Science made all that possible Ignacio P. Your ilk doesn’t accept science but believes whatever fantasies Trump spits out without thinking.

        • Now, hold up there a sec, William…

          Science, Engineering, and Capitalism go hand in hand all too frequently to simply dismiss this powerful mixture. True, some scientific progress must be funded in a more communist fashion – usually primary (or ‘pure’) research, but even more immediately applicative science (such as NASA and the early space program) was subject to capitalist competition for the engineering to be made. Now, that very program is seeing the birth of capitalism taking the reins to take things to the next orbit, if you will.

          An intelligent balance between the two methods of economic funding for progress is certainly appropriate, but, generally speaking, capitalism historically wins in scientific progress being made available to the masses better than any other form of economic engine.

          • Hey, Stinger

            Is an oligarchy* capitalist? That’s where we’ve been headed for decades.

            Also, are routine bailouts under Republican administrations inherent in capitalism*? What’s wrong with that picture?

            *oligarchy
            a small group of people having control of a country, organization, or institution.

            Yup, that sounds like where we are headed if not already there.

            *capitalism
            an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

            Sounds like Trump is controlling or trying to control this country’s trade and industry. But, he isn’t the only one. And, when the private industries own the government officials who then control the industry, you have something else. What shall we call it?

      • Ignacio and Trumpist might be the same person. They certainly have the same mind and even compliment each other.

        • Methinks they share half a mind, if that.

          I bet that when they read comments or pundits that say the same things as they do, they think that’s “agreement”. No, folks. That shows what sheep they are, mindlessly repeating stuff that Trump/Fox News blathers.

          The voices in their heads aren’t their own but Trump’s, Hannity’s and Carlson, yikes!

          • Oh, TTUMPIST-19.

            I do have a mind but unlike you I am NOT my mind.

            Maybe someday you’ll have the opporutnity to tell the differnce.

            Until then, your mind, such as it is, rules your life. Too bad you identify with it.

        • You’re right. Ignacio and I have mind-melded into one extraordinarily intelligent, witty, suave and handsome intellectual entity.

          We have awesome super powers, common sense and a heavenly mandate to thwart your evil objectives of having the country turn communist.

          • Your bromance with Trump is revealing. He sucks up to Putin (a communist) and you suck up to Trump.

            Thank makes you a “communist by proxy”. Suck away,.

            You can’t win TRUMPIST-19.

    • What else do you have in mind? Socialism? Bolshevism? Communism?

      Read your history and listen to the wise words of Ignacio P.

      • Yeah, yeah. Save it. Whatever we have now isn’t working – that’s obvious enough. Oh, who will pray for the billionaires? Boo hoo.

        • Hey, commies are always welcome in Cuba, Venezuela, Russia, China and North Korea.

          Don’t let the door hit ya.

        • It will never work for losers. Demo-rats want to redistribute wealth so lazy losers like you have the same as hard working people.

          Not gonna happen!

          • That’s all you got? Another vacant comment from another wealth worshipper. Maybe I should write your comments for you to save us both the time. If you are wasting your time defending the disgusting behavior of Vallarta you’ve already lost.

          • Not defending Vallarta at all!!! AT ALL!! You obviously aren’t proficient at reading or critical thinking.

            I was only defending our capitalist economic system that you were ignorantly trashing. It has unquestionably brought more people out of poverty in this world than any other system by orders of magnitude.

            The Chinese use capitalism to generate their wealth in a communist country. Again, don’t let the door hit you if you don’t like it.

  5. Number one you’re a [removed] what you think what you saying they were Hispanic so if you don’t like it that stuff she gone your part no one asked you to invited you to California once you go home I can meet you anywhere you like idiot I’ve been married into a Hispanic family for 30 years you people are the worst racist there are so don’t give me your crap you idiot I can meet you right at that 99 Cent Store on Palmdale Boulevard how about Saturday morning any day you like big mouth

  6. Greedy Enterprise, Im glad its finally coming to light. Its starts off at the top of the pyramid. Managers really are uneducated with their labor laws, health laws, and state regulations. Worst place I ever worked for and I’m thankful I quit. A lot more dirt is still kept under their rug though. Don’t get me started on their kitchen and meat department…..

  7. Today is Monday the 13th
    I was a customer at the 99 cent store on Palmdale Boulevard
    I don’t know what it is with the Latino population but they were inside 99 cent store with no mask on their face and I confronted them I called the sheriff’s department also code enforcement
    Because the cashiers will not telling the people put on their masks so I wound up personally and told them myself to put on there mask they’re not immune if they want to spread the disease go back to their country

    • Stfu, You literally said, “…I wound up personally and told them myself to put on there mask they’re not immune if they want to spread the disease go back to their country”
      You are such a racist piece of sh#t in the AV. You are One of thousands of Racists here in the AV that are worthless slabs of meat.

    • I want to hit you in the head, People like you are so dumb and so ignorant. You put a shame to yourself, be grateful to the essential workers working hard in fields putting food on your plate. Ignorant POS. Disgusting man, Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

    • This is probably one of the most ignorant, and racist comments I’ve read on here so far. Also, you’re comment has so many grammatical errors. Please do us all a favor and educate yourself.

    • Hey [removed], stop generalizing and realize that the county of LA just started requiring masks when you mingle with others. I bet you spend your whole day glued to the screen and paranoid as heck, others may not have the time or resources to do so. Let me tell you that I’ve seen people of all colors not wearing masks, fellow white people have even commented that if it’s God’s will, it’ll be their time to go. Freaking bible thumpers. Any who, you’ve must of looked ridiculous making a scene at the 99 cents store, of all places- PATHETIC.

  8. I will no longer shop there. Shame on you Vallarta! They are taking advantage of their employees and of their customers.

  9. Vallarta are a Bunch of thieves taking advantage of the people will never set foot in another stinky store again

  10. This is really unfortunate. I spoke with some people I know that work there and they confirmed that they have stopped the $2 disaster pay raise

  11. Vallarta Market also has racial profiling on hiring you’re not Hispanics you will not be working in Vallarta markets that is illegal but why isn’t anything ever done about it because this is sanctuary City good thing to think about they’re green moldy tortillas that they sell that are corn are used for nachos

    The flour tortillas when they’re green and moldy they make the cinnamon tortillas chips
    Old ground meat that’s expiring they put fresh meat in with it and resell it this place is disgusting the health department needs to go in and shut these stores Down

    • I totally agree, I went the other day and I was so surprise to se a 18 pack of eggs for almost $6 that’s ridiculous not everyone can afford it. I even took a picture of the price tag because I thought it was for something else and I noticed it has the new date 3/24. I think there should be a law to protect costumers and employees from companies like this.

  13. Walmart on 47th has confirmed to their employees of 2 employees testing positive for Covid-19. CDC was there yesterday, but they did not even close down to sanitize and clean!!

    • And you know this how? Because you read it on the ‘internets’? There’s a lot of bogus information on the ‘internets’. I read how a sheriff was shot by a person from a building that housed mentally ill people. It was true, but it was on the ‘internets’. Then there was a story about a young person tragically dying from this horrible virus and was turned away because he didn’t have health insurance only to find out it wasn’t true. One time on the ‘internets’ someone claimed that bird sounds played on the BLVD reduced crime. That obviously wasn’t true. You can’t believe everything people say even if it’s on the ‘internets’.

    • I’ve always been a big fan of this supermarket and am very disappointed to be hearing this.

      I will be making it a point to shop elsewhere until this issue is corrected.

      Hope once whoever is making these decisions is replaced that new person will have some common sense.

      It’s not only greed. They were very late to respond with changes to the current situation. Not only are you putting your employees at risk but you are also putting my family at risk by doing so.

      SMH.