In a surprising turn of events Tuesday morning, Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda announced that she intends to introduce a bill to lift the Council’s mandate, passed back in January, requiring grocery store employers to pay $4 an hour “hazard pay” to their frontline workers.
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Council set to pass independent contractor regulations, despite stakeholder concerns (UPDATED)
(update below) Tomorrow afternoon the City Council will likely give final approval to a bill that requires the employers of independent contractors to provide pre-contract written disclosure of contract terms, and to make payments within certain timeframes, and to provide similar written disclosures accompanying payments. It sounds straightforward, but the devil is in the details and the Council is pushing this through despite the misgivings of the city’s own Office of Labor Standards (OLS) and Labor Standards Advisory Commission (LSAC).
Continue readingIndustry association asks for full 9th Circuit review of ruling on hotel workers healthcare mandate
Back in March, a three-judge panel in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the city in a legal challenge to the its ordinance mandating that hotels provide healthcare benefits to their employees. As expected, the plaintiffs in the case, the ERISA Industry Committee (ERIC), have asked the full Ninth Circuit to hear the case en banc.
Continue readingCouncil looking at new protections for contract workers
Based on recommendations from the city’s Labor Standards Advisory Commission, the City Council is considering draft regulations that would add new requirements for those employing contract workers: pre-contract disclosures, timely payment, and written disclosures to accompany payment.
Continue readingJudge upholds grocery worker “hazard pay” ordinance
It took about fifteen minutes after a hearing this morning for U.S. District Court Judge John Coughenour to issue his ruling dismissing a lawsuit challenging the City of Seattle’s ordinance requiring grocery stores to add $4 per hour of “hazard pay” on to workers’ paychecks.
Continue readingNinth Circuit upholds Seattle hotel workers healthcare mandate
In a super-fast turnaround, today the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Seattle’s ordinance requiring hotel employers to make minimum monthly expenditures for their employees’ healthcare.
Continue readingAppeal of hotel-worker healthcare mandate gets its day in court
On Monday, a panel of 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judges heard oral arguments in an appeal of the City of Seattle’s ordinance mandating that hotel companies provide healthcare benefits to their workers.
Continue readingGrocers file for preliminary injunction to block city’s hazard pay ordinance
In an expected move, yesterday attorneys representing local grocery chains filed for a preliminary injunction to block implementation or enforcement of the city’s $4 per hour hazard pay ordinance for front-line employees of large grocery employers in Seattle. The filing provides more detail into how the plaintiffs intend to argue their case.
Continue readingGrocer associations sue to block “hazard pay” requirement
On the day that Seattle’s new $4 per hour “hazard pay” ordinance took effect, two trade associations representing local grocery companies filed suit to block the ordinance.
Continue readingCouncil fast-tracking hazard pay for grocery workers in Seattle
The Seattle City Council is fast-tracking an emergency ordinance that would require large grocery store companies to pay their Seattle-based retail workers an extra $4 per hour hazard pay through the end of the COVID-19 emergency. Passing progressive, labor-friendly legislation is their strong suit. Doing the math and working out all the details… not so much.
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