Emerald City Pizza $376,000 Job Posting Settlement

Employment · Pending — Automatic Payment

Current Status

There is no claim form: class members will be paid automatically if the court grants final approval. King County Superior Court preliminarily approved the $376,000 settlement on September 2, 2026, and the final approval hearing is scheduled for January 29, 2027. The deadline to opt out, object, or update a mailing address or payment choice online is November 23, 2026. No payment date had been announced as of October 6, 2026.

What Changed Recently?

The settlement entered its notice period after Judge Michael K. Ryan of King County Superior Court preliminarily approved it on September 2, 2026. Notices have gone out to class members, and the administrator, Simpluris, has opened the official settlement website with the notice, the settlement agreement and an online address update and payment selection form.

The case, Okyeremah Nyannor v. Emerald City Pizza LLC, was filed on May 14, 2024. The named plaintiff alleged that Emerald City Pizza’s postings for Washington jobs did not include the wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits, which Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (RCW 49.58.110) has required in job postings by employers with 15 or more employees since January 1, 2023. Emerald City Pizza denied the allegations in its answer and denies any liability or wrongdoing; the settlement is not an admission. The parties paused the case in July 2024 to negotiate, returned to discovery when those talks did not produce a deal, and reached agreement on the settlement terms in June 2026. The court has not decided which side was right.

Who Qualifies?

The settlement class is everyone who, from January 1, 2023 through September 2, 2026 (the date of preliminary approval), applied for a job opening in Washington with Emerald City Pizza LLC where the job posting did not disclose the wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits and other compensation. Emerald City Pizza represented in the settlement agreement that 188 people fit that definition.

The class is limited to applicants for Washington openings. Members were identified from Emerald City Pizza’s application records, and each should have received a notice by mail and email. Under the agreement, someone who believes they were left off the class list can dispute it with the administrator within 30 days of the notice mailing, and the company’s records control unless the applicant has documents showing otherwise.

How Much Can You Get?

The notice estimates each class member’s payment at $1,107.44. Emerald City Pizza is paying $376,000 in total. Before anything is divided, the fund covers requested attorneys’ fees of $112,800 (one-third of the fund), up to $5,000 in litigation costs, a requested $25,000 service award for the named plaintiff, and settlement administration costs capped at $25,000, all subject to court approval. The remainder is split in equal shares; there are no tiers.

The figure is an estimate. If the court awards less than the requested fees, costs or service award, or administration costs come in under the cap, the difference is added back to the class fund, and the shares of anyone who opts out are reallocated to the remaining class members. If the class turns out to be larger than 188, the agreement adds $2,000 to the fund for each additional member.

What Proof or Notice ID Is Required?

None to get paid. There is no claim form, and no receipts, pay records or copies of job applications are needed. The notice includes a LoginID and PIN, which are used only on the settlement website to update a mailing address or to switch from a paper check to a digital payment such as PayPal or Venmo. Payment does not depend on using them.