SEATTLE (AP)—A federal judge on Tuesday cleared the way for Seattle’s new minimum wage law to take effect as planned next month, rejecting claims by franchises of big national chains that it discriminates against them.
In his 43-page decision Tuesday night, U.S. District Judge Richard A. Jones rejected all of the arguments brought forth by the International Franchise Association, which represents national chains ranging from fast food joints to hotels.
“Although plaintiffs assert that they will suffer competitive injury, loss of customers, loss of goodwill, and the risk of going out of business, the court finds that these allegations are conclusory and unsupported by the facts in the record,” he wrote.
Lawyers for the franchise association, including Paul Clement, the former U.S. solicitor general, insisted that they were not challenging the minimum wage itself. Instead, they were challenging how quickly their clients must adopt it.
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