And as if to add an exclamation point to its unmistakable pro-union stance, the NLRB filed suit against Starbucks alleging the company was guilty of unfair labor practices in the firing of 3 former employees. The NLRB Phoenix regional office filed the action in US District Court alleging that Starbucks illegally retaliated against three of…
Read More »A federal court in the state of Washington has dismissed a class action lawsuit challenging a long-term care benefit program known as Washington Cares Fund. The program called for an employee payroll tax of .58% of total pay per payroll beginning this past January 1, but it also gave employees the option to opt-out of…
Read More »With a renewed focus on bad actors within the franchise industry, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took a significant step this week when the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against franchisor Burgerim alleging in a four-count lawsuit that the company violated Section 5 of the FTC with false and misleading representations to potential…
Read More »In case the ongoing unionizing efforts in QSRs wasn’t enough, One Fair Wage, the union advocacy arm of the Restaurants Opportunities Center (ROC) United, has appealed a decision dismissing a lawsuit challenging the validity of the tipped minimum wage to the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the 9th District. In the One Fair Wage,…
Read More »The District Court for the District of Southern California has dismissed a lawsuit challenging the validity of California’s AB5 law. The challenge, which was filed by the International Franchise Association (IFA) along with DDIFO, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) and the Supercuts Franchisee Association (SFA) back in November 2020, centered around California‘s ABC…
Read More »The final round in the heavyweight fight over a couple of the Biden vaccine mandates – including the OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) for private employers with 100 or more workers – is set to be argued before the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) on January 7. In taking up the issues, the…
Read More »Although it seems we’ve been advising on the changes – and changes back – regarding the federal tip credit rules for quite some time, there is still news to report. Last week, along with the Texas Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Law Center (NRA) filed an emergency motion seeking a temporary injunction against…
Read More »A blockbuster story dropped early this week when it was announced that McDonald’s had finally reached a settlement with franchisee Herb Washington is his lawsuit alleging racial discrimination against the Golden Arches. It was reported that in exchange for dropping his lawsuit against the company, McDonald’s would purchase Washington’s 13 stores for a total of…
Read More »In the latest in a string of legal losses for the Biden administration over its vaccine mandates on private employers, a federal district court issued a nationwide preliminary injunction this week prohibiting the government from enforcing its COVID-19 vaccination mandate for federal contractors. The ruling follows nationwide injunctions issued against the vaccine mandate for private…
Read More »Similarly, the Biden vaccine mandate for federal contractors was also enjoined this week when a U.S District Court Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove in the Eastern District of Kentucky, granted a preliminary injunction early this week covering the states of Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio. Initially thought to only apply to contracts for services, it had been…
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