COVID-19

Federal Relief – President-elect Biden addressed the nation outlining his first major legislative package, a $1.9 trillion COVID relief plan.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

California – Restaurant owners filed lawsuits in San Diego, Orange, San Francisco, and Sacramento counties against their respective counties and the state alcohol control agencies demanding refunds for government fees they paid last year as they closed or drastically scaled back their operations according to public health orders.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Pennsylvania – The state launched two new consumer-facing websites, one of which will store a database of restaurants offering to-go curb service as well as home delivery, the other will be a listing of restaurants that have violated state COVID-related health and safety standards.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Yelp – The company announced a new feature on its app that will allow reviewers to provide detailed feedback on how well specific restaurants adhere to COVID-19 health and safety practices.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Wages

Federal – As noted above, President-elect Biden addressed the nation outlining his first major legislative package, a $1.9 trillion dollar COVID-relief plan and he also indicated that a $15/hr minimum will be an initial priority as well.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Fight for $15 – The SEIU-backed group held actions this week to pressure the administration and Congress to approve a $15/hr minimum wage within the first 100 days.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Paid Leave

Federal Relief – As expected, the Biden relief package also will include emergency paid leave.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Labor Policy

California – The state supreme court upheld its Dynamex ruling this week, applying the standard retroactively to rideshare drivers and other employers. On a moving forward basis, rideshare companies are protected from the requirements in the Dynamex ruling (as well as AB-5 which in effect codified that ruling in state law) by Proposition 22 which voters recently approved. In related news this week, organized labor and some rideshare drivers are asking the state supreme court to repeal Proposition 22, an initiative passed by the voters in Nov. that exempted transportation network platforms like Uber & Lyft from the AB-5 law.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Oregon – A franchise relationship bill has been prefiled for the 2021 session that would further regulate the contractual relationship between franchisors and franchisees.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Delivery

Schenectady County, NY – The county legislature passed a law capping fees charged by third-party food delivery services at 15 percent.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Dublin, OH – City leaders decided not to pursue an ordinance capping delivery fees as neighboring Columbus has done.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

St. Paul, MN – The city council voted 7-0 to adopt the mayor’s executive order capping third-party delivery fees at 15 percent.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Alcohol

U.S. Supreme Court – The court denied certiorari on an appeal to the ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals protecting the state of Michigan’s alcohol delivery law.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Illinois – The legislature passed a bill allowing for home delivery of alcohol and it is headed to the governor’s desk for his expected signature.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

New Mexico – The governor announced her legislative agenda for the 2021 session and prominent on the list was her call for home delivery of alcohol.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Ohio – The governor signed legislation allowing for home delivery of alcohol.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe

Misc.

New York City, NY – With city elections looming later this year, many labor organizations in the city are realigning and breaking away from the Working Families Party and creating a new partnership dubbed, #LaborStrong2021.To Access Align's Analysis: Log In or Subscribe