In today’s news and commentary, Wyoming bans non-compete agreements, rideshare drivers demonstrate to recoup stolen wages, and Hollywood trade group names a new president.

Starting July 1, employers will no longer be able to force Wyoming employees to sign non-compete agreements. A bill banning the practice passed the Wyoming legislature this past session, with legislators citing the burden of noncompete agreements on employees, agreements which often force employees to relocate entirely or abandon their chosen professional field. The bill does contain carve outs for executive and management personnel, and does not change the prohibition on revealing trade secrets.

On Wednesday, March 26, rideshare drivers held demonstrations throughout California pushing for a settlement of their wage theft claims. The negotiations involve the California labor commissioner, the state attorney general, city attorneys of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco, and the rideshare giants. The negotiations are the result of more than 5,000 claims filed by rideshare drivers with the California labor commission office in 2020 alleging that they were misclassified as independent contractors, and denied wages and benefits due to them as employees.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, the trade group that heads labor negotiations on behalf of major Hollywood studios and streaming companies, has appointed Greg Hessinger its new president. This appointment comes in the wake of strikes that effectively paused the industry’s functioning two years ago. Hessinger has worked on both sides of the table, including as the director of labor relations at CBS, executive director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), later, for six months, as national executive director of the Screen Actors Guild, and then as a law firm attorney defending corporate clients against unions.