Late Thursday afternoon, a federal judge in Seattle rejected a lawsuit by individual Uber drivers, who were represented by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Fund, that challenged Seattle’s first-of-its-kind collective negotiations law. The individual drivers claimed that the law violated the National Labor Relations Act as well as the First Amendment. In rejecting the claim, the court determined that the City’s law was not at odds with federal law or the federal Constitution. This is the second time, in less than a month, that the court has rejected a challenge to the law. Earlier this month, the court turned away a suit by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce based on federal labor and antitrust law. That ruling is currently on appeal. Also, the court rejected the U.S. Chamber’s request for an injunction pending appeal and dissolved a previously issued injunction.
City Attorney Peter S. Holmes said: “Yesterday, the court cleared the way for the City to implement its first-in-the-nation law. In so doing, the court recognized the public importance of maintaining and promoting the safety and reliability of the for-hire transportation industry in the City of Seattle, goals which this law advances. We are very pleased with the court’s decision and will continue to vigorously defend this publicly important law on appeal.”