Attorney deems lawsuit against Seattle's 'hazard pay' ordinance a 'long shot'
A lawsuit against the city of Seattle’s bill requiring large grocery stores to pay increased hourly wages during the pandemic likely faces an uphill battle in court.
That’s according to a Seattle attorney who provided legal counsel to the city when it faced similar opposition after approving the $15 minimum wage in 2014.
“It is very similar,” said Edgar Sargent, partner at Susman Godfrey, which has an office in Seattle. “It’s always a long shot in this kind of situation when you’ve lost the battle in the legislature and you want to go to court and say this is unfair to me, which is essentially what this case is. It’s a very difficult claim to win.”
The Northwest Grocery Association and the Washington Food Industry Association filed a suit in the U.S. District Court that alleges the “hazard pay” bill sidesteps collective bargaining, treats essential businesses and workers unfairly and violates the U.S. and Washington constitutions.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2021/02/08/grocers-suit-against-seattle-ordinance-long-shot.html
