WASHINGTON (HUNS) — The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in Flowers Foods Inc. v. Brock, a case that could determine whether local delivery drivers are exempt from mandatory arbitration under the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA).
The dispute centers on whether delivery drivers who transport goods entirely within one state qualify as transportation workers “engaged in interstate commerce,” a category that Congress excluded from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) when it passed the law in 1925.
Respondent Angelo Brock worked as a delivery driver for Flowers Foods, distributing baked goods from a warehouse to local retailers. Although the goods had previously crossed state lines before reaching the warehouse, Brock’s deliveries occurred within a single state.
Brock argues that because the goods he transported were part of a continuous interstate journey, he should fall within the FAA’s transportation worker exemption. Under that interpretation, drivers handling the final stage of a shipment, often called last mile delivery, would not be required to resolve disputes through arbitration agreements.
Flowers Foods contends the exemption should apply only to workers directly involved in cross border transportation such as those who move goods across state lines or load cargo onto vehicles engaged in interstate travel.
The company argues that local delivery drivers who transport goods within one state do not meet that standard.
The case also builds on recent Supreme Court rulings interpreting the FAA’s transportation worker exemption including Southwest Airlines Co. v. Saxon and Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries Park St., LLC which emphasized that the exemption should be interpreted narrowly.
The issue is how broadly courts should define workers “engaged in interstate commerce.” Brock’s position could extend the exemption to a wide range of workers involved in the distribution chain while Flowers Foods warns that such a reading would significantly limit the FAA’s reach and increase litigation.
The court’s decision in Flowers Foods, Inc. v. Brock could clarify whether local delivery drivers and other last mile logistics workers are required to arbitrate employment disputes or may instead pursue claims in court.
Grant Roundtree is a reporter for HUNewsService.com and will cover this Supreme Court case on Wednesday.
