The law is pretty well settled that a labor arbitration does not generally bar a unionized employee from bringing a claim under the Fair Employment and Housing Act, such as a discrimination, sexual harassment or retaliation claim. See Alexander v. Gardner-Denver (1974) 415 U.S. 36; Camargo v. California Portland Cement Co. (2001) 86 Cal.App.4th 995. However, Wade v. Ports America Management Corporation (2013) 218 Cal.App.4th 648 declined to extend this good fortune to non-statutory claims such as wrongful termination in violation of public policy.
Mr. Wade brought a claim for wrongful termination in violation of public policy. His public policy claim was for race discrimination. Wade justified this outcome by noting the uniqueness of the Fair Employment and Housing Act’s statutory scheme. That part, I generally understand, even if I don’t agree with it However, the Court didn’t stop there. It came up with a hard-to-follow and not so well- reasoned argument that Mr. Wade’s public policy against race discrimination was violated was encompassed in his union arbitrations and therefore precluded by it. The fact that his union arbitration didn’t in any way address race discrimination, didn’t stop the Court from its labored and illogical analysis that it did. So, be very careful of your labor arbitration’s impact on any civil case you might bring!
Jody I. LeWitter
December 17, 2013