The cannabis industry is growing at a rapid pace given the proliferation of states legalizing medical and recreational use. Indeed, most states already have a comprehensive medical cannabis program, and many are rolling out...more
4/14/2023
/ Anti-Discrimination Policies ,
Cannabis-Related Businesses (CRBs) ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Dispensaries ,
Drug Testing ,
Employment Policies ,
Labor Regulations ,
Local Ordinance ,
Marijuana ,
Marijuana Related Businesses ,
State Labor Laws ,
Trade Secrets ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour ,
Workplace Safety
Seattle is not only a hotbed for the cannabis industry but also for cannabis industry employment protections. City officials signed three ordinances into law in 2022, each pitched as a way to promote equity in the cannabis...more
Washington employers are already under the gun to develop policies and practices to meet the requirements of the state’s new paid sick law that takes effect on January 1, 2018. Those with multiple Washington locations have...more
12/20/2017
/ Collective Bargaining ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Exempt-Employees ,
Local Ordinance ,
Municipalities ,
New Amendments ,
Paid Leave ,
Sick Leave ,
State Labor Laws ,
Wage and Hour
The gig economy just got a strong ally in its fight to remain union-free: the federal government. The latest development in the ongoing saga involving an attempt to put into place the nation’s first unionization law that...more
11/17/2017
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Appeals ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Gig Economy ,
Independent Contractors ,
Local Ordinance ,
Oral Argument ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Price-Fixing ,
Ridesharing ,
State Action Doctrine ,
Union Organizers ,
Unions
Not two weeks ago, we discussed several active court cases seeking to challenge the City of Seattle’s first-of-its-kind ordinance aimed at unionizing ride-sharing drivers, pointing out that the battle was about to reach a...more
4/5/2017
/ Antitrust Violations ,
Chamber of Commerce ,
Independent Contractors ,
Local Ordinance ,
Lyft ,
NLRA ,
Preemption ,
Preliminary Injunctions ,
Price-Fixing ,
Ridesharing ,
Uber ,
Unions
In keeping with its goal of pioneering workers’ rights, Seattle’s City Council passed its controversial Secure Scheduling Ordinance on September 19, 2016, which will require certain retail and food establishments to provide...more
9/22/2016
/ Business Justification ,
Covered Employees ,
Covered Employer ,
Employee Rights ,
Employer Liability Issues ,
Fines ,
Interactive Process ,
Local Ordinance ,
Retaliation ,
Wage and Hour ,
Work Schedules
In keeping with its goal of pioneering workers’ rights, Seattle’s City Council is expected to pass its Secure Scheduling Ordinance this fall, requiring certain retail and food establishments to provide both a “livable wage”...more
Effective January 1, 2017, Spokane will join Seattle, Sea-Tac, and Tacoma as cities in Washington requiring employers to provide mandatory employee paid sick and safe leave. On Monday, January 11, 2016, Spokane’s City Council...more
Amidst the uber-media commotion over the Seattle City Council’s December 14 adoption of a law allowing independent contractor rideshare drivers to unionize, many missed that Seattle also passed a significant bill amending...more