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eUpdate

November 18, 2016
Initiative 1433’s Applicability to Unionized Workplaces

Author: Danielle Franco-Malone
Washington voters spoke loudly and clearly in favor of increased labor standards, voting to approve I-1433 by a 58-42% margin. The new law raises the minimum wage to $11.00 beginning 2017, $11.50 beginning 2018, $12 beginning 2019, and $13.50 beginning 2020.

eUpdate

September 23, 2016
Just in Time: Public Disclosure Commission Clarifies Rule On Use of Graphic Content From Candidates’ Websites

Author: Dmitri Iglitzin
On September 22, 2016, just in time for the upcoming general election, the PDC issued a formal Interpretation clarifying that in the absence of coordination with a candidate, copying graphic content from a campaign website and using the content in other political advertising does not constitute a “contribution” for purposes of the election campaign contribution limits set forth under the Public Disclosure Act.

eUpdate

September 09, 2016
The National Labor Relations Board Grants Student Assistants at Private Universities the Right to Organize

Author: Divya Vasudevan
On August 23, 2016, the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB” or “Board”) ruled in Columbia University that undergraduate and graduate student assistants at private universities are workers who have the right to unionize.

eUpdate

September 08, 2016
PERC RECONSIDERS SUBCONTRACTING AND SKIMMING STANDARDS

Author: Terry Costello
When must a public employer bargain its decision to contract out bargaining unit work?

eUpdate

September 06, 2016
Employees Have The Right To Pursue Work-Related Legal Claims Together, Says The 9th Circuit

Author: Jennifer Robbins
The Ninth Circuit, in a strongly-worded 2-1 decision, held that an employer may not require an employee to sign a contract giving up the right to pursue work-related legal claims together with his or her co-workers.

eUpdate

September 02, 2016
COURT OF APPEALS RULES ALL CLAIMS AGAINST UNION ARISING FROM ITS REPRESENTATION OF ITS MEMBER WERE ACTUALLY DFR CLAIMS

Author: Kathy Barnard
Last week, Division One of the Washington Court of Appeals agreed that the trial court had correctly dismissed a lawsuit by two bargaining unit members brought against their public sector bargaining union. The members alleged that the union had negligently engaged in the unauthorized practice of law by settling their grievances in a way that they did not like.

eUpdate

July 26, 2016
Getting Your IE Political Advertising Content From the the Candidate’s Own Website Can Still Spell Trouble

Author: Dmitri Iglitzin
Way back in May of 2015, we advised readers of these Workerlaw Campaign Finance eUpdates of an enforcement action brought by the PDC against the Kitsap County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Guild (“the Guild”), arising from the fact that the Guild, which spent a total of $5,753 for a series of newspaper and on-line advertisements in the Kitsap Sun in support of Russell Hauge’s candidacy for Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney, used content taken from Mr. Hauge’s publicly available campaign website, including the heading (which used the same font, colors, and graphic design), a photo of Mr. Hauge, and a quote from Congressman Derek Kilmer in support of Mr. Hauge. The Guild’s political advertising also included some of the law enforcement endorsements used by the Hauge campaign on its website. We counsel caution in doing anything similar for the following reasons...

eUpdate

July 13, 2016
NLRB Changes Course And Allows Workers To Choose To Form A Single Bargaining Unit Of Temporary And Permanent Employees

Author: Carson Flora
The use of temporary workers has exploded in the United States. More than 15 percent of the U.S. work force is now employed by a temporary help agency, through contract firms, or as “independent contractors.”*

eUpdate

May 04, 2016
Second Circuit Reverses Trial Court, Reinstates NFL’s 4 Game Suspension of New England QB Tom Brady

Author: Rob Lavitt
A Loss for Brady and NFL Players’ Association, But a Win for Labor Arbitration

eUpdate

March 31, 2016
New U.S. DOL Rule: The Public Will Finally Have The Right To Know How Much A Company Is Spending To Thwart Union Organizing

Author: Carson Flora
Anti-union consultants make their living convincing workers not to join together to improve their working conditions. Despite the known advantage of working union (union workers make, on average, at least $4 more an hour than non-union workers and far more in certain industries), with their mix of carrots and sticks, these sophisticated union-busters can effectively turn a hot shop cold with captive audience meetings and anti-union propaganda.

eUpdate

March 29, 2016
PUBLIC SECTOR AGENCY FEES SURVIVE FOR NOW

Author: Kathy Barnard
This morning, the United States Supreme Court issued its long awaited decision in Friedrichs v. CTA ...

eUpdate

March 22, 2016
NLRB Announces Additional Cost-Saving Measures For 2016

Author: Katelyn Sypher
In a new Operations-Management Memorandum issued March 9, the NLRB Office of the General Counsel urged local Regions of the Board to take mind of the agency’s FY16 budget shortfall and engage in further cost-saving measures in the investigation and prosecution of all cases. Unions should be aware of the financial strain the Regions are facing and should anticipate the following effects – great and small – on their cases moving forward...

eUpdate

February 04, 2016
DID YOU PAY FOR A LOBBYIST’S SERVICES LAST YEAR? ANNUAL LOBBYIST EMPLOYER REPORT DUE FEBRUARY 29!

Author: Dmitri Iglitzin and Laura Ewan
If you have a lobbyist on staff or paid for an outside lobbyist’s services, you must file an annual Lobbying Expenses report (Form L-3 ) with the PDC by February 29, 2016.

eUpdate

February 03, 2016
NLRB Changes Captive Audience Rule for Mail Ballot Elections

Author: Danielle Franco-Malone
The NLRB last week issued a decision prohibiting employers from holding captive audience meetings 24 hours before mail ballots are scheduled to be mailed (previously such meetings could be held until 24 hours after ballots were scheduled to be mailed), giving unions new grounds for filing objections in mail ballot elections.

eUpdate

January 27, 2016
NLRB Recognizes Right to Make Audio/Video Recordings at Work

Author: Danielle Franco-Malone
The National Labor Relations Board recently held that employers generally may not forbid employees from taking photos or recording conversations at the workplace.

eUpdate

January 05, 2016
Health Insurance Excise Tax Delayed for Two Years

Author: Danielle Franco-Malone
The budget deal passed by Congress at the end of 2015 included a two year delay to the ACA’s excise tax on high cost health care plans – the so-called “Cadillac” tax – originally slated to take effect in 2018 and now delayed until 2020.

eUpdate

October 09, 2015
KEY PRE-GENERAL ELECTION REPORTING DATES FOR COMMITTEES ARE JUST AROUND THE CORNER!

Author: Laura Ewan

Date - Tuesday, October 13

Activity - 21-day pre-general C-4 due (for both statewide and Seattle filing purposes)

Reporting Period - September 1 through October 12

Date - October 13 through November 2

Activity - Special reports due if committee makes or receives contributions of $1,000 or more in the aggregate from one source

eUpdate

September 30, 2015
URGENT COMPLIANCE UPDATE: UNIONS THAT EMPLOY LOBBYISTS NEED TO REPORT THEIR IN-KIND AND MONETARY CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR OWN P

Author: Dmitri Iglitzin
In light of recent compliance actions taken by the Attorney General’s office, this update outlines important reporting guidance for unions with PACs, as well as unions with lobbyist employees.

eUpdate

September 24, 2015
ICYMI: National Labor Relations Board cases of August 2015

Author: Carson Flora
The Board issued a number of notable decisions in August. In case you missed them, each case is briefly summarized below.

eUpdate

September 01, 2015
Washington Supreme Court Clarifies Standard for Public Records Held on Employees’ Personal Devices

Author: Katelyn Sypher
On August 27, 2015, the Washington Supreme Court issued a new decision in Nissen v. Pierce County et al. (Case No. 90875-3), clarifying when records such as text messages and emails held by public employees on their personal devices or accounts may be public records subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act (“PRA”), RCW 42.56.