A Fresno County farming company is suing the state, saying it unfairly imposed a requirement to negotiate with a labor union on behalf of thousands of its workers. Gerawan Farming Company, one of the largest tree fruit growers in the state, is suing the Agricultural Labor Relations Board and the United Farm Workers union, alleging the state failed to meet the requirements for imposing mandatory mediation against the company. The 42-page lawsuit, filed Monday in Fresno County Superior Court, also claims the process is unconstitutional. read


4/24: Stripper class action sent to arbitration

The three strippers who filed a class action lawsuit against their former employer have agreed to participate in arbitration. read


4/22: Organic farms rethink unpaid internships after back pay mediation

Some organic farmers are rethinking taking on interns this growing season after a Vancouver Island farm was forced to pay thousands of dollars in back wages to unpaid workers. read


4/14: IRB appoints mediator for Arlington-horsemen dispute

Retired judge will try to reconcile contract battle that threatens Illinois betting on Kentucky Derby. read


4/11: 9th Circuit arbitration ruling could impact employment cases

An en banc panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a dispute between former students and a bank that held their student loans was subject to arbitration. The ruling could have broad implications, including in employment disputes. read


4/09: Can Mediation Improve EEOC Conciliation?

Lorene Schaefer has seen employment discrimination from both sides—as a general counsel who handled bias complaints against her company, and then as a plaintiff in a class action lawsuit charging gender discrimination. read


4/02: Canada: Alleged Sexist Comments At OLRB Safety-Reprisal Mediation Were Privileged, Could Not Form Basis For Discrimination Complaint

An alleged comment that "women don't like to do that job", and other discussions at an Ontario Labour Relations Board safety-reprisal mediation, were privileged and could not form the basis for a discrimination complaint, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario has decided. read


3/24: California Court of Appeal finds employment arbitration agreement barring class claims unconscionable

In Compton v. Superior Court of Los Angeles County, No. B236669 (2d Dist. Mar. 19, 2013), a divided panel of the Second District Court of Appeal reversed the Los Angeles Superior Court’s order compelling arbitration of her wage-and-hour class action complaint. read


3/21: Goldman wins ruling to arbitrate discrimination claim

Goldman Sachs Group Inc on Thursday won a U.S. court order allowing it to send a former employee's gender discrimination claim to arbitration, rather than being forced to defend against her claims in a class action lawsuit. read


3/20: Mediating non-compete disputes in the medical device industry

The medical device industry remains a hotbed for non-compete litigation, and the reason is plain and simple. Economic justification. Sales reps develop close relationships with surgeons who purchase millions of dollars worth of medical devices each year. read