About 2,003 lower-paid Swire Coca-Cola workers in Washington are in line for an estimated $672.54 each, and none of them has to file a claim. The one date that matters right now is November 2, 2026: it is the last day to switch from a paper check to a digital payment, and the postmark deadline to opt out or object. Everyone else simply keeps their address current and waits for the court.
Status: Preliminarily approved, pending final approval | No claim form — payment is automatic | Opt out, object or choose digital payment by November 2, 2026 | Estimated $672.54 per person
What the Case Is About
The case is Braithwaite et al. v. Swire Pacific Holdings Inc., Case No. 25-2-26285-5 SEA, in King County Superior Court before Judge Rania Rampersad. A former Washington employee filed it on September 9, 2025, and a current employee was later added as a second named plaintiff. Swire Pacific Holdings, Inc. did business as Swire Coca-Cola, USA and is now known as Swire Coca-Cola, USA Inc.; according to the complaint, it bottles and distributes Coca-Cola and other beverage brands across a group of western states.
The lawsuit relies on RCW 49.62.070, part of Washington’s Noncompetition Covenants Act. Since January 1, 2020, that provision has barred employers from restricting a worker who earns less than twice the state minimum hourly wage from holding an additional job, working for another employer, working as an independent contractor or being self-employed. The complaint points to a line in Swire’s Corporate Code of Conduct that, it says, prohibited working for a non-Swire company while employed by Swire, and it asked for $5,000 in statutory damages per class member under RCW 49.62.080.
Swire denies the allegations, denies liability and denies that the claims belong in a class action. The court has not decided whether Swire broke the law. Swire settled as a business decision, and the settlement is not an admission of wrongdoing.
The Pay Line That Puts You in the Class
The class is every current and former Swire Pacific Holdings employee who worked in Washington and earned less than twice the applicable state minimum hourly wage at any point from September 9, 2022 through March 10, 2026. Because the minimum wage rose each year, so did the cutoff:
| 2022 | Under $28.98 an hour |
| 2023 | Under $31.48 an hour |
| 2024 | Under $32.56 an hour |
| 2025 | Under $33.32 an hour |
| 2026 | Under $34.26 an hour |
Earning under the figure for a year you worked is enough. You did not need to have taken a second job or been told you could not. Membership comes from Swire’s payroll records, so a mailed or emailed Notice is the practical sign you are in. Anyone who believes they were left off has 45 days from the mailing of the Notice to raise it with the administrator, Simpluris, Inc., which decides from Swire’s records and any employment documents you provide.
Where $672.54 Comes From
Swire agreed to a Common Fund of $2,003,000 — roughly $1,000 for each class member it identified. These amounts come off the top before the rest is split equally:
- Attorneys’ fees for Class Counsel, Emery Reddy, PC, requested at $600,900, or 30% of the fund.
- Litigation costs and expenses of up to $10,000.
- Service awards of $20,000 for each of the two class representatives.
- Settlement administration costs, capped at $25,000.
Every class member who stays in receives the same share. There are no tiers and no adjustment for length of employment. Swire has agreed not to oppose the fee and service-award requests, but the court sets the final amounts; anything not awarded flows back to the class, so the estimate can move either way.
Two clauses can change the fund itself. If the class proves at least 7.5% larger than the 2,003 people Swire reported, class counsel may void the deal unless Swire adds about $1,000 per extra person. Swire may void it if more than 7.5% of class members opt out.
What the Login ID and PIN Are For
The Notice carries a Login ID and PIN, but this Swire Coca-Cola settlement does not use them to gate payment. They open the portal on the official settlement website for two optional changes: updating your mailing address and choosing a digital payment instead of a check. The Notice warns that a class member whose current address the administrator does not have may not receive a payment, so former employees who have moved should update it, either online or with the Address Update Form that came with the Notice.
The November 2 Deadlines
| Digital payment | Choose it in the online portal by November 2, 2026. Do nothing and a check is mailed. |
| Exclusion | A signed, dated written request mailed to the administrator, postmarked by November 2, 2026, with your full name, address and a statement that you want to be excluded. Not by phone or email; one person per request. |
| Objection | Filed with King County Superior Court by November 2, 2026, with copies mailed to Class Counsel and Swire’s counsel postmarked the same day. |
The Notice gives these dates without a timezone. You cannot both exclude yourself and object; once excluded, you are no longer in the case. Excluding yourself keeps your right to sue Swire separately and gives up the payment. The Notice also states that Swire will not retaliate against anyone for participating, not participating or objecting.
The Hearing and the Payment Sequence
The final approval hearing is November 13, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, Washington, with Zoom attendance available through the link in the Notice and on the settlement website. The date can change by court order. As of October 1, 2026, no final approval order had been entered and no payment date had been announced.
If the court approves and there is no appeal, the agreement has Swire fund the settlement about 30 days after the judgment becomes final, with payments about 14 days after that. Checks are void 180 days after issue, and uncashed money is sent to Washington’s unclaimed property program in the class member’s name. Updates, the Notice and the settlement agreement are on SettlementSPHI.com, and our sister site follows the case on its Swire Coca-Cola Washington non-compete settlement page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to file a claim to be paid?
No. There is no claim form. Swire’s employment records identify the class, and everyone who does not exclude themselves receives an equal share automatically if the court grants final approval.
How much is the Swire Coca-Cola settlement payment?
The Notice estimates $672.54 per class member. The amount depends on the fees, costs, service awards and administration costs the court approves and on the final size of the class, which Swire put at approximately 2,003 people.
Did I have to work a second job to qualify?
No. You qualify if you worked for Swire in Washington and earned under twice the state minimum hourly wage at any point from September 9, 2022 through March 10, 2026. Whether you held or wanted another job does not matter.
Can I get paid electronically instead of by check?
Yes, if you choose a digital payment in the settlement website portal by November 2, 2026 using the Login ID and PIN on your Notice. Otherwise a paper check is mailed. Digital payments expire after 30 days but can be reissued during the 180-day period.
What if I never cash the check?
Checks become void 180 days after issue. Under the settlement agreement, the uncashed money goes to the State of Washington’s unclaimed property program in your name.
Will taking part affect my job at Swire?
The Notice says Swire supports the settlement and will not retaliate against any class member for participating, not participating or objecting.
Sources
- Official settlement website, Notice, settlement agreement and address/payment portal — SettlementSPHI.com, administered by Simpluris, Inc.
- Notice of Class Action Settlement, Braithwaite et al. v. Swire Pacific Holdings Inc., No. 25-2-26285-5 SEA, Superior Court of Washington, King County.
- Class Action Complaint, filed September 9, 2025 in King County Superior Court.
- OpenClassActions.com — Swire Coca-Cola Washington Non-Compete Settlement.
Source and credit: the settlement terms, deadlines and benefit details described above are drawn from our sister site’s reporting — OpenClassActions.com: Swire Coca-Cola Washington Non-Compete Settlement — which tracks this case against the court-approved notice and the official settlement website and is updated as the court rules.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. OpenClassActions.org is a consumer news site, not a law firm and not the settlement administrator, and is not affiliated with any party to the case described. The allegations are allegations; unless a court has ruled, the defendants deny wrongdoing and no court has decided the merits. Deadlines, benefit amounts and payment timing can change as the court and the administrator act, so confirm current status on the official settlement website. You never need to pay anyone to file a claim or to receive a settlement payment.