Flowers Foods, Inc., et al., Petitioners v. Angelo Brock

The Supreme Court said a worker can qualify for the Federal Arbitration Act's Section 1 exemption even if he never crosses state lines or works with vehicles that cross borders. The case asked whether that exemption can cover local delivery workers moving goods that had traveled in interstate commerce.

The prompt does not provide the vote count or opinion lineup. It indicates the Court said a worker can qualify for the Section 1 exemption even without crossing state lines or working with border-crossing vehicles.

Majority

Gorsuch

Roberts

Thomas

Alito

Sotomayor

Kagan

Barrett

Kavanaugh

Jackson

This makes it harder for some companies to force local delivery workers into arbitration. For example, a driver who only makes in-state deliveries of goods that came from another state may now argue the FAA does not apply.

Lower courts must now apply that rule in arbitration fights involving local drivers and similar workers. Employers and workers will keep litigating which jobs are closely tied enough to interstate goods movement to fit the exemption.

It answered whether local delivery workers can be treated as FAA-exempt transportation workers even if they never cross state lines or use border-crossing vehicles.

Companies may be less able to force some local drivers into arbitration. Drivers who move interstate-traveled goods on in-state routes may stay in court.

Lower courts must apply this rule to pending arbitration fights. Employers and workers will argue which jobs fit the Section 1 exemption.