No arbitration for cargo ramp supervisor

Watch 60 second video: https://youtu.be/uRb7HU80NXc

A unanimous United States Supreme Court says that an airline cargo ramp supervisor does not need to arbitrate her wage claim even though she signed an arbitration agreement. Southwest Airlines v. Saxon (US Supreme Ct 06/06/2022) [PDF]

So her claim stays in federal court.

The Federal Arbitration Act requires courts to enforce arbitration agreements. But  there's a big exception for contracts of employment of seamen, railroad employees, or any other class of workers engaged in interstate or foreign commerce.

She belongs to that class of workers in interstate commerce. She frequently unloads and loads cargo onto and off the airplane.

Now, the court was clear.

This does not cover all of the employees of the airline, and it's not only those employees who actually cross state lines.

She works on goods that are actually in interstate commerce.