Creating a Washington economy that works for all by helping small businesses
The Washington State Department of Commerce recently published a report examining the current landscape of small business support, referred to as technical assistance. Technical assistance programs provide training and guidance to help small businesses succeed, as well as share resources and education to help entrepreneurs tap into government and philanthropic aid programs. Surveying technical assistance providers from across the state, the report is the first ever exploration of how such providers responded to the pandemic, the gaps that exist in support, and how we can prioritize state and philanthropic resources to fill those gaps, especially for businesses furthest from opportunity. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Donna Grethen)

Rep. Jayapal: Kroger merger will ‘hurt consumers, workers’
U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) is calling for a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation into Kroger’s proposed acquisition of Albertsons. It would combine the country’s two largest grocery store chains under one name. Kroger currently owns Fred Meyer and QFC, while Albertsons operates Safeway and Haggen. Representative Jayapal says the merger wouldn’t be good for the average American. “The acquisition would threaten competition and hurt consumers, workers, and small businesses. It presents several anti-competitive concerns, including fewer product choices and higher costs,” Jayapal said in a statement. The merger creates a company encompassing nearly 5,000 stores, reaching approximately 85 million households across the U.S. Kroger would own a share of the U.S. grocery market second to only Walmart. Continue reading at My Northwest. (Tom Williams)

Judge orders Amazon to stop retaliations against organizers
A federal judge has ordered Amazon to stop retaliating against employees engaged in workplace activism, issuing a mixed ruling that also hands a loss to the federal labor agency that sued the company earlier this year. The ruling came in a court case brought by the National Labor Relations Board, which sued Amazon in March seeking the reinstatement of a fired employee who was involved in organizing a company warehouse on Staten Island, New York. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Diane Gujarati ruled there was “reasonable cause” to believe the e-commerce giant committed an unfair labor practice by firing Bryson. She issued a cease-and-desist order directing the Seattle-based company to not retaliate against employees involved in workplace activism. Continue reading at Associated Press. (Craig Ruttle)

Associated Press
Judge orders Amazon to stop retaliations against organizers

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