It is not often that a long and distinguished career and having the distinction of being the “longest serving” anything would be the basis of a discrimination and retaliation lawsuit, but it is. An agent at the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Seattle field office is claiming gender discrimination and pay raise discrimination. The shocking part… Read More
Posts Categorized In: Seattle
New Contract for Seattle Teachers as Children Head to Class
Negotiating or re-negotiating contracts is an important and potentially stressful situation nearly everyone faces at some point. Recent contract negotiations between the Seattle school district and the Seattle Education Association (SEA) ended in an agreement right before a deadline that would have led to a teachers’ strike. Both sides had their demands. As the Seattle… Read More
Washington's Department of Labor and Industry Want To Make A Change
The Tri-City Herald recently posted a story detailing Washington State’s Department of Labor and Industry’s efforts and intent to be more “user friendly,” particularly for employers. The Department of Labor and Industry is a state agency that handles everything thing from employee complaints over safety to workers’ compensation claims to licensing. The department assists and… Read More
Washington Employees Are Allowed Time Off for Jury Duty But Not Elections
On November 5, SeaTac residents will decide whether they will raise the nation’s highest minimum wage from $9.19 to $15 an hour. Proposition 1, if passed, would require business in the SeaTac area to pay employees more than double the national minimum wage. The dramatic increase in minimum wage is intended to help struggling SeaTac… Read More
Seattle Man Fired Over His Beard Wins Lawsuit
A Seattle man fired because of his beard later won over $66,000 because of that very same beard. The Seattle P-I reported on Abdulkadir Omar, a Seattle Muslim man, who was hired as a security guard by a security firm, American Patriot Security, to guard a Kent FedEx building. He was hired with his beard,… Read More
Two Growing Seattle Tech Companies Announce IPO, But Gender Gap Persists
The Puget Sound Business Journal reported on Tableau Software and Zulily’s recent announcements for their IPOs. But the story was not about the two companies’ future financial prospects or even the services they provide. The article focuses on a continuing trend in the tech industry. The trend is a stark lack of women at the… Read More
University of Washington Fined for Withholding Bias Claim Information
A judge has fined the University of Washington more than $720,000 for withholding information during a gender bias lawsuit. The lawsuit arose in 2009 when Isabelle Bichindaritz, a professor at the Tacoma branch campus, was denied tenure for the third time. She had been teaching at the University since 2002 in the computer-science department. The… Read More
Seattle Man Unable to Find Employment After Wrongful Conviction Sues State
A 53-year-old Seattle man has become one of the first to sue the state for compensation for his wrongful conviction, time served in prison, and his inability to secure long-term employment. The Seattle P-I reports that James Simmons, a former IT professional who was charged, convicted and served a year in jail for dealing cocaine,… Read More
Seattle Starbucks Employee Loses Job Over Discarded Sandwich
An employee at a Starbucks in downtown Seattle was fired for taking a wrapped breakfast sandwich out of the trash can after a coworker had thrown it away, according to Q13FOX.com and The Stranger. The employee, Coulson Loptmann, who was unable to work enough hours to pay his bills and survived partly on food stamps,… Read More
Washington Congressman's Bill Would Prohibit Discrimination Against Military Veterans
United States Representative Derek Kilmer, from Gig Harbor, Washington, submitted a bill to congress that would provide anti-discrimination protections to military veterans. Tacoma-based The News Tribune reports that the protections would be similar to those provided to other protected classes such as race, religion, or gender. Senator Blumenthal from Connecticut proposed the same legislation in… Read More