Arbitration

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In 554 Euo LLC v. Bldg. Maintenance Employees Union, Local 486, No. 654999/2018, 2019 WL 645975 (N.Y. Sup Ct, New York County Feb. 11, 2019), the court upheld an arbitrator’s decision to impose a less serious sanction (loss on one months’ pay), instead of termination, upon an employee found to have engaged in workplace harassment. The…

Read More Court Upholds Arbitrator’s “Progressive Discipline” Determination in Light of Workplace Harassment
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In Agostini v. EmblemHealth, Inc. et al, 16-cv-7119, 2018 WL 3350324 (S.D.N.Y. July 9, 2018), the court held that plaintiff was entitled to pursue her claims in federal court, notwithstanding the existence of an arbitration provision in the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) between her union and her employer. Here’s the law, as summarized by the…

Read More Statutory Discrimination Claims Held Not Subject to Arbitration Agreement
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In Tsoflias v. Barclays Capital Inc., 2018 Ny slip Op 31184(U), 2018 WL 2971165 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. June 6, 2018), the court held that, in light of the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Epic Sys. Corp. v Lewis, plaintiff’s claims of age and gender-based discrimination were subject to an arbitration agreement, and thus granted defendant’s…

Read More Age, Gender Discrimination Claims Against Barclays Capital Subject to Binding Arbitration, Court Holds
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In a pro-employer, 5-4 decision issued today – Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis, No. 16-285, 2018 WL 2292444 (U.S. 2018) – the U.S. Supreme Court held that mandatory arbitration agreements are enforceable under the Federal Arbitration Act, and that doing so does not violate the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). From the Opinion (per Justice…

Read More SCOTUS Upholds Arbitration Agreements
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In New York City Transit Authority v. Phillips, 2018 NY Slip Op 02442, 2018 WL 1719789 (N.Y. App. Div. 1st Dept. April 10, 2018), the court reversed a lower court decision and held that the arbitrator should have found that a Transit Authority employee (Aiken) subjected another (Melendez) to inappropriate and unwelcome comments of a sexual…

Read More Arbitrator Should Have Found That Transit Authority Employee Engaged in Sexual Harassment, First Department Holds
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In Schiferle v. Capital Fence Co., Inc., 2017 NY Slip Op 07059 (App. Div. 4th Dept. Oct. 6, 2017), the court held that “a wage claimant may, in certain circumstances, validly waive their statutory right to attorney’s fees under [Labor Law §] 198.” The court held that those circumstances were present here. From the decision: Plaintiff ……

Read More Court Holds That Statutory Attorney Fees May Be Waived in Arbitration
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From Humphries v. City Univ. of N.Y., 2017 NY Slip Op 00034 (App. Div. 1st Dept. Jan. 3, 2017): The motion court correctly determined that the State Human Rights Law retaliation claim (Executive Law § 290 et seq.) is barred by the doctrine of collateral estoppel (see Buechel v Bain, 97 NY2d 295, 303-304 [2001], cert…

Read More Adverse Arbitration Decision Properly Resulted in Dismissal of Retaliation Claim
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In McNeill v. Raymour & Flanigan Furniture, No. 15-1473, 2016 WL 7048712 (N.D.N.Y. Dec. 5, 2016), the court granted the defendant’s motion to compel arbitration of plaintiff’s claims of employment discrimination (race discrimination and retaliation) under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This decision illustrates the uphill – albeit not insurmountable –…

Read More Arbitration of Employment Discrimination Claim Compelled; Court Rejects Employee’s Claim That He Never Signed Arbitration Agreement
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In Hermés of Paris, Inc. v. Swain, No. 16-CV-6255 (CM), 2016 WL 4990340 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 13, 2016), the court granted the request by petitoner (Hermes) to compel arbitration of the respondent/employee’s claims. Respondent, who worked in one of Hermes’ retail locations, filed a lawsuit in New Jersey state court alleging claims of sexual orientation discrimination, creation of…

Read More Sexual Orientation Discrimination Claim Must Be Arbitrated; Consent to Arbitration Was “Knowing and Voluntary”
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By a motion filed on August 29, 2016 in New York State court, Defendants seek to compel plaintiff Andrea Tantaros to pursue her sexual harassment (and other) claims in arbitration, rather than in court. (You can access public filings in this case, Tantaros v. Fox News et al, 157054/2016, as well as other cases, here.) From…

Read More Defendants Move to Compel Arbitration in Andrea Tantaros’ Sexual Harassment Lawsuit
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