by Kelsey Reichmann
March 28, 2022
https://www.courthousenews.com/forced-a ... n-workers/
Introduction:
WASHINGTON (Courthouse News) — The Supreme Court heard an arbitration case on Monday concerning an airline worker fighting for overtime pay where the justices looked for a narrow ruling on a growing problem.
As a ramp supervisor at Southwest Airlines, Latrice Saxon loads and unloads cargo from planes. Saxon claims Southwest didn’t properly compensate her and other employees for overtime they are due. In an attempt to recoup that lost money, Saxon sued Southwest on behalf of herself and other workers, but her suit was complicated by an arbitration clause that was a condition of her employment.
The Federal Arbitration Act requires courts to enforce private arbitration agreements. However, section one of the statute exempts seamen, railroad employees or any other class of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce from these agreements.
Southwest moved to dismiss the suit under the FAA because Saxon had signed an arbitration agreement, but Saxon argues the FAA does not apply because her job categorizes her among the workers who are exempt from arbitration agreements under the FAA.
A district court found that airline employees who load and unload interstate cargo are not exempt from the FAA, but in a unanimous decision, the Seventh Circuit reversed, finding that ramp employees were engaged in foreign or interstate commerce. Southwest then appealed to the nation’s high court.