Christopher Ward Offers Insight on Transportation Worker Arbitration Exemption

Foley & Lardner LLP partner Christopher Ward is quoted in the Law360 articles “Aviation Cos. Say 9th Circ. Ruling Kicks Wage Spat To Arb.” and “Pumping Fuel Is Interstate Commerce, 9th Circ. Told,” offering insight on an airport fuel pumper’s wage and hour case and the transportation worker arbitration exemption.

Referencing a related decision handed down by the Ninth Circuit in Adan Ortiz v. Randstad InHouse Services LLC et al., Ward said, “The Ortiz panel really emphasizes the importance of the workers directly moving the goods themselves and demonstrates why the Ninth Circuit should overturn the district court.”

Ward, who is representing companies involved in the case, said that while fuel pumpers are “certainly involved in the flow of the goods, they have no work with respect to the goods themselves,” and therefore the fuel pumper’s suit should go to arbitration.

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