Plague Journal, Performative Gesture
The New York Times reported this morning that major corporations have announced that they are phasing out the “Hero Pay,” the $2.00 to $3.00 per hour raise offered to employees volunteering to work during the covid-19 stay-at-home orders. The NYT referenced a Los Angeles Times article which you may read in full CLICK HERE
I was not surprised at this news. The designation “Heros,” “essential workers” seemed immediately obsequious, hypocritical to me because I well know how these workers are treated under normal conditions. They are overworked for the pay which they receive, and this is standing company policy. It was impossible to believe that the CEOs of Target, Walmart, CVS, Whole Foods, had a “come to Jesus” conversion due to the covid-19 lock down and now recognize their front line workers are the ones responsible for producing the lions share of the value. That would indeed be a miracle. The “Hero” rhetoric was a gossamer thin tissue covering the reality that these employees are not in a position to work-from-home and are taking the risk of public exposure due to dire financial necessity. They are “essential workers” in the same sense that enslaved African Americans were essential to the economy of the antebellum South.
Here are two segments from the LA Times piece which speak to the reality of our lives at this point as Americans.
“The pandemic exposed how little corporations pay many workers, workers on whom the public deeply depends,” said John Grant, president of UFCW Local 770 in a statement. “With all eyes on essential workers during the pandemic, grocery corporations were quick to capitalize on the good PR of raising wages, but they cannot justify taking them away, especially since they have continued to do business while so many other businesses are closed and their profits are record high.”
— John Grant UFCW Local 770 president representing 20,000 grocery workers in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties
“Every company that has given a little bit more in pay is trying to pitch it like it’s for heroes and they’re grateful for us. But it’s not really reflecting as much anymore. Revoking the raise makes it feel like a ‘very performative’ gesture on the company’s part.”
— Brianna Rocha, Starbucks Barista
(The emphasis is mine)
