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Kroger Chief Executive Gets 6% Raise While Median Worker Pay Drops 8%

(CBS4) -- During the height of the pandemic, grocery store workers were considered heroes for continuing to do their jobs every day, despite the dangers of COVID-19. But after 2020, the top executive at Kroger got a significant pay increase, while those who worked on the frontline saw the median wage drop.

Kroger's top executive, Rodney McMullen, received a 6% pay increase after 2020 -- a compensation package worth more than $22 million.

At the same time, median employee pay dropped by 8% to $24,617.

The United Food and Commercial Workers Union says it is an insult to the millions of employees.

At the beginning of the pandemic, Kroger implemented "Hero Pay," a temporary raise of a $2/hour, but that was taken away back in May of 2020.

Kroger is the parent company that owns King Soopers and City Market stores in Colorado.

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