Reyna v. Int’l Bank of Commerce

Plaintiff, individually and on behalf of other similarly situated individuals, filed suit against his former employer, IBC, contending that IBC violated the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), 29 U.S.C. 201 et seq., by failing to pay proper overtime rates. The district court denied IBC's motion to compel arbitration. The court concluded that, upon a motion to compel arbitration, a court should address the arbitrability of the plaintiff’s claim at the outset of the litigation. Therefore, the district court was required to consider the arbitrability of plaintiff's claim before conditionally certifying the collective. The court further concluded that, because the arbitration agreement contains a delegation clause, any disputes about the arbitrability of plaintiff's claim or the scope of the arbitration agreement must be decided by the arbitrator, not the courts. Accordingly, the court concluded that the district court erred in denying the motion to compel arbitration and the court reversed and remanded. The court vacated the stay pending appeal. View "Reyna v. Int'l Bank of Commerce" on Justia Law