A federal judge in Pennsylvania has granted FedEx’s motion to compel arbitration in a legal dispute involving an independent service provider from Florida. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Nora Barry Fischer of the Western District of Pennsylvania, determined that the plaintiff, Estanislao Enterprises Inc. (EEI), did not qualify as a “transportation worker” under the exemption specified in Section 1 of the Federal Arbitration Act.
Judge Fischer’s July 5 opinion supports FedEx Ground’s stance to resolve the conflict through arbitration, despite EEI’s claims of abusive and illegal business practices targeting its operations and other independent contractors under similar agreements.
“We are pleased the court enforced the parties’ written agreement to resolve disputes in arbitration, where FedEx will continue to vigorously defend against these allegations,” a FedEx spokesperson said in a statement.
Further details on the case are available through The Legal Intelligencer.