Christopher Ward Comments on Transportation Worker Arbitration Exemption in Wage Case

Foley & Lardner LLP partner Christopher Ward is quoted in the Bloomberg Law article, “Aircraft Firms Face Skeptical Panel in Worker Arbitration Appeal,” offering insight on the transportation worker arbitration exemption in a wage and hour case.

Commenting on a district judge’s decision to allow an airport plane fueler to use the Federal Arbitration Act exemption, which applies to classes of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce, in order to keep his wage-and-hour allegations in court, Ward said the ruling is an “aberration from every other court decision that has ever taken on” the exemption.

“Given how much litigation this issue is generating right now,” Ward explained, it’s “critical” that the Ninth Circuit “reject the flawed analysis from the district court” and overturn the ruling against the two aviation services companies.