About 188 people who applied for Washington jobs at Emerald City Pizza LLC will be paid an estimated $1,107.44 each without filing anything, if the court approves the $376,000 settlement in January. Payment goes to the mailing address the administrator has on file, so the practical risk is a check sent to an old address. Address changes and the switch to PayPal or Venmo must be made online by November 23, 2026.
Status: Preliminarily approved, pending final approval | No claim form — payment is automatic | Opt out, object or update address by November 23, 2026 | Estimated $1,107.44 each
Who Is in the Class
The class is everyone who, from January 1, 2023 through September 2, 2026, applied for a job opening in Washington with Emerald City Pizza LLC where the posting did not disclose the wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits and other compensation. September 2, 2026 is the date of preliminary approval. Emerald City Pizza represented in the settlement agreement that 188 people fit that definition.
Members were identified from the company’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. The company’s records control unless the applicant has documents showing otherwise.
Why This Case Was Filed
Since January 1, 2023, Washington’s Equal Pay and Opportunities Act, RCW 49.58.110, has required employers with 15 or more employees to include the wage scale or salary range and a general description of benefits in job postings. The named plaintiff in Okyeremah Nyannor v. Emerald City Pizza LLC, No. 24-2-10796-7 SEA, in King County Superior Court, alleged the company’s Washington postings left that information out. The case was filed May 14, 2024.
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, went back to discovery when those talks failed, and agreed on terms in June 2026. Judge Michael K. Ryan granted preliminary approval on September 2, 2026. The court has not decided which side was right.
From $5,000 to About $1,107
The law let an applicant seek $5,000 in statutory damages for a non-compliant posting. A settlement is a compromise that ends the case without a trial, and here the total is $376,000. These amounts, all subject to court approval, come out before the remainder is divided:
| Attorneys’ fees | $112,800 requested (one-third of the fund) |
| Litigation costs | Up to $5,000 |
| Service award | $25,000 requested for the named plaintiff |
| Administration | Capped at $25,000 |
The rest is split equally, with no tiers, and the notice estimates each share at $1,107.44. The estimate can rise. Anything the court does not award in fees, costs or the service award, and any savings under the administration cap, goes back to the class fund, and the shares of anyone who opts out are reallocated to those who stay. If the class turns out to be larger than 188, the agreement adds $2,000 to the fund for each additional member, so new members do not simply dilute everyone else’s share.
The Only Form You Might Need
No claim form, receipts, pay records or copies of job applications are needed. Your notice carries a LoginID and PIN, used only for the Address Update/Payment Selection form on the official Emerald City Pizza settlement website, run by Simpluris. Use it to change 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 it.
Class members who stay in have no deadline to meet to be paid, as long as the administrator has a mailing address that reaches them.
Opting Out or Objecting
November 23, 2026 is the deadline for every action. The notice gives no time of day or time zone for the online deadline.
- Exclusion: a signed letter mailed to the administrator, postmarked by November 23, 2026, with your full name, address and a statement asking to be excluded. It cannot be made by phone or email, and group requests are not accepted. Opting out keeps your right to sue separately over the same postings but means no payment.
- Objection: you stay in the class and file a written objection with the court by the same date, with copies mailed to class counsel and Emerald City Pizza’s attorneys. The notice lists what it must contain.
The agreement lets Emerald City Pizza void the deal if more than 10% of class members opt out. A reduced award of fees or of the service award is not grounds to end it.
Hearing and Payment Timetable
The final approval hearing is January 29, 2027, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Ryan at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, with remote attendance by Zoom. The date and time can change by court order, and any change will be posted on the settlement website.
| 31 days after the final approval order | Settlement takes effect, if there is no appeal |
| Within 30 days after that | Emerald City Pizza funds the settlement |
| Within 14 days of funding | Administrator sends payments |
An appeal would delay each step. Checks are void 180 days after issue. PayPal or Venmo payments expire after 30 days, but you can ask for a re-send during the 180-day period. Money still unclaimed after that goes to the State of Washington’s unclaimed property program in your name, and anything left over goes to the Legal Foundation of Washington.
Emerald City Pizza is one of several Washington employers that settled the same kind of claim; the Washington job posting settlements tracker on OpenClassActions.com lists the open ones, and the Emerald City Pizza page covers this case.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a claim form for the Emerald City Pizza settlement?
No. Class members were identified from Emerald City Pizza LLC’s application records, and everyone who does not opt out is sent an equal payment if the court grants final approval. The LoginID and PIN on the notice are only for updating an address or choosing a digital payment by November 23, 2026.
Why is the payment about $1,107 when the law allows $5,000?
The settlement is a compromise. Emerald City Pizza is paying $376,000 in total; requested fees of $112,800, up to $5,000 in costs, a $25,000 service award and up to $25,000 in administration costs come out first, and the rest is split equally among about 188 class members.
What if more than 188 people are in the class?
The agreement adds $2,000 to the fund for each additional class member, so new members do not simply dilute everyone else’s share.
Could the settlement fall apart?
The court could decline to approve it, or Emerald City Pizza could void it if more than 10% of class members opt out. A reduced fee or service award is not grounds to end it; any amount not awarded goes back to the class.
What happens if I never cash my payment?
Checks are void after 180 days, and PayPal or Venmo payments expire after 30 days but can be re-sent within the 180-day period. Unclaimed money then goes to Washington’s unclaimed property program in your name, and any remainder to the Legal Foundation of Washington.
Sources
- Official settlement website, Okyeremah Nyannor v. Emerald City Pizza LLC, No. 24-2-10796-7 SEA — FAQs, deadlines, hearing details, the address update form and the Class Action Settlement and Release Agreement.
- Notice of Class Action Settlement, King County Superior Court (PDF).
- RCW 49.58.110 — Washington’s job posting pay transparency requirement.
- OpenClassActions.com — Emerald City Pizza WA Job Posting Settlement.
Source and credit: the settlement terms, deadlines and benefit details described above are drawn from our sister site’s reporting — OpenClassActions.com: Emerald City Pizza WA Job Posting Settlement: Est. $1,107 — 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.