AG Bonta issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Flowers Foods v. Brock to uphold a lower court’s decision that “last-mile” truck drivers working in the stream of interstate commerce are exempted from the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). The FAA generally requires workers to resolve disputes against their employer in private arbitration when they have signed an arbitration agreement. However, the FAA includes an exemption for transportation workers engaged in interstate commerce. Today’s decision upholds the lower court’s ruling that a truck driver who picks up and delivers goods entirely within state lines qualifies for the exemption to the FAA when they are taking part in the delivery of goods moving in interstate commerce.

“Truck drivers are critical to state economies, and drivers should have access to courts to redress their workplace concerns to the fullest extent of the law. Today’s court ruling is a win for workers’ rights and preserving workers’ ability to protect themselves from unlawful working conditions. At the California Department of Justice, we are unwavering in our commitment to uphold laws to ensure workers continue to receive the protections and rights that they deserve and to prevent employers from evading accountability at the expense of worker welfare and fairness.” – AG Bonta