A former Southwest Airlines Co. ramp supervisor falls under an exemption to arbitration requirements for transportation workers, allowing her to bring her overtime dispute in court, the US Supreme Court ruled.
The unanimous decision Monday, which settles a split among federal appeals courts, expands the reach of a Federal Arbitration Act carveout for “seamen, railroad employees, or any other class of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce.”
Justice Amy Coney Barrett didn’t participate in the case because she penned a decision on the issue during her time on the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
The decision will be “very helpful in guiding courts as they approach similar questions going forward by making clear that whether a class of workers is exempt from the FAA is a textual and historical inquiry,” said Saxon’s attorney, Jennifer Bennett, a principal at Gupta Wessler PLLC.
In a statement, Southwest Airlines said the impact of the decision will “overall be minimal,” and thanked the court for clarity on not including all airline workers under the transportation exemption. The arbitration program applies only to certain employment claims from non-union workers, and those who handle cargo are typically union employees, the airline said.
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