Hill v. Garda CL Northwest, Inc.
Hill v. Garda CL Northwest, Inc.
Opinion of the Court
¶1 A court may not require a party to submit to class arbitration unless the party agreed to do so.
FACTS
¶2 Garda CL Northwest Inc. is an armored transport company that employs over 100 armored truck crew members across Washington state. In February 2009, Lawrence Hill, Adam Wise, and Robert Miller (collectively employees) filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of themselves and others who worked for Garda as armored truck drivers in the state of Washington.
¶3 The applicable collective bargaining agreements required Garda employees to grieve and arbitrate “any claim under any federal, state, or local law . . . related to the employment relationship.” In its April 2009 answer, Garda asserted that the employees’ claims “must be resolved by arbitration” under the dispute resolution provisions of these
¶4 After a trial court issued a decision for the Pellino class in January 2010, Garda and the employees discussed settlement but did not reach an agreement. The employees moved for class certification in March 2010. Garda agreed to engage in mediation, but those efforts also failed. At Garda’s request, the hearing on class certification was renoted three times. Then, on July 1, Garda moved to compel arbitration. The trial court heard the class certification motion on July 16 and certified the plaintiff class on July 23. At the hearing on Garda’s motion to compel, the trial court ordered supplemental briefing on its authority to order class arbitration.
¶5 In its supplemental briefing, Garda asserted that the arbitrator, not the court, should decide whether the parties agreed to class arbitration and requested that the trial court order arbitration on an individual basis. The employees contended that the arbitration agreements were unenforceable because Garda waived the right to seek arbitration by engaging in litigation for 19 months before filing its motion to compel, the employees did not clearly and unmistakably waive the right to a judicial forum, and certain provisions in the arbitration agreement were unconscionable. The trial court ordered class arbitration, stating, “[T]he court, in light of its prior decision to certify a class, believes that it has the authority to compel arbitration as a class.”
¶6 The parties filed cross motions for discretionary review in this court. A commissioner of this court granted discretionary review.
¶7 We review de novo a trial court’s decision to grant a motion to compel arbitration.
ANALYSIS
¶8 We begin with the employees’ cross appeal. If, as the employees claim, the arbitration agreements are unenforceable, we need not reach the issue raised by Garda’s appeal. The employees claim the arbitration agreements are unenforceable for three reasons: (1) Garda waived its contractual right to arbitration, (2) the employees did not “clearly and unmistakably” waive their rights to a judicial forum, and (3) the arbitration agreements are unconscionable. We conclude the third ground does not merit discretionary review under RAP 2.3(b)(4) and do not consider it.
¶9 The employees first claim that Garda waived its right to arbitration by engaging in 19 months of litigation before filing the motion to compel. A party may waive its contractual right to arbitrate.
¶10 The employees allege that Garda acted inconsistently with arbitration by participating in discovery and in motions practice, taking depositions of the named plaintiffs, and moving for summary judgment. We disagree. The record demonstrates that during the relevant period, the parties were largely attempting to resolve their dispute through means alternative to litigation. In late 2009 and early 2010, the parties put the case on hold while awaiting a decision in Pellino. From January to March, Garda and the employees explored settlement options. During that time, they filed a joint stipulation and motion to continue the trial date to December 2, stating, “Plaintiffs and Garda agree that this stipulation and motion is made without prejudice to Garda’s position ... that this matter is properly subject to arbitration under the applicable Labor Agreements.” Shortly after the employees moved for class certification, Garda agreed to mediation, and the class certifi
¶11 The cases the employees cite do not persuade us otherwise. In Steele v. Lundgren,
¶12 In Ives v. Ramsden,
¶13 These cases demonstrate that the right to arbitration must be timely invoked. In the cases above, the parties seeking arbitration first asserted that right well into the litigation. Here, Garda timely invoked its right to arbitration at the beginning of the litigation and throughout the proceedings leading up to its motion to compel. The record establishes the employees’ awareness that Garda wished to arbitrate the claims. And the delay in filing the motion to
¶14 Additionally, Garda’s other actions do not demonstrate waiver. While Garda engaged in discovery, took depositions, and engaged in limited motions practice, it did not demonstrate the extensive or aggressive litigation behavior found to be indicative of waiver in Steele. Garda moved for summary judgment. But unlike the teachers in Cruzen, Garda joined this motion with its motion to compel. Finally, the employees have not demonstrated that Garda had prepared fully for trial as the defendant in Ives had. Because Garda’s conduct does not demonstrate an intent to litigate rather than arbitrate, Garda did not waive its arbitration right.
¶15 Second, the employees argue that they did not “clearly and unmistakably” waive their rights to pursue their claims in a judicial forum. In other words, they claim that arbitration is not mandatory. We disagree. A party waives its right to a judicial forum only when the requirement to arbitrate is clear and unmistakable.
¶16 In this case, the grievance procedures in the collective bargaining agreements require arbitration of all “grievances,” which are defined as
a legitimate controversy, claim or dispute by an employee, shop steward or the Union concerning rates of pay, entitlement to compensation, benefits, hours, or working conditions set forth*695 herein, including without limitation, claims of harassment or discrimination or hostile work environment in any form,... or any claim of retaliation for making any such or similar claim, or the interpretation or application of this Agreement or any agreement made supplementary thereto, or any claim under any federal, state or local law, statute or regulation or under any common law theory whether residing in contract, tort or equity or any other claim related to the employment relationship.
These arbitration agreements require employees to submit any claim under any federal, state, or local law to the grievance procedure outlined in the arbitration agreement. Clearly, this provision encompasses the employees’ wage claims under chapter 49.52 RCW and chapter 49.12 RCW. The requirement to arbitrate is clear and unmistakable. The employees waived their rights to pursue their claims through litigation.
¶17 The employees disagree, arguing that this case is like Brundridge v. Fluor Federal Services, Inc.
¶19 The employees claim that the arbitration agreement must contain an explicit statement that arbitration is the parties’ exclusive remedy. We disagree. A collective bargaining agreement’s grievance and arbitration procedure is presumed to be the exclusive remedy unless otherwise stated in the contract.
¶21 Stolt-Nielsen S.A. v. AnimalFeeds International Corp.
f 22 The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari “to decide whether imposing class arbitration on parties whose arbitration clauses are ‘silent’ on that issue is consistent with the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), 9 U.S.C. §[§] 1[-16].”
¶23 After observing that arbitration “ ‘is a matter of consent, not coercion,’ ”
[C]ourts and arbitrators must not lose sight of the purpose of the exercise: to give effect to the intent of the parties.
From these principles, it follows that a party may not be compelled under the FAA to submit to class arbitration unless there is a contractual basis for concluding that the party agreed to do so.[47]
Because the parties had not agreed to arbitrate on a class-wide basis, they could not be compelled to submit their dispute to class arbitration.
¶25 Turning to the arbitration agreements in this case, the contracts here, as in Stolt-Nielsen, are silent on the issue of class arbitration. When it compelled the parties to arbitrate on a class-wide basis, the trial court did not ascertain the parties’ intent from the language of the agreement. Because no contractual basis existed allowing the court to order class arbitration, the trial court erred by doing so.
¶26 As in Stolt-Nielsen, only one possible outcome exists under the facts of this case; therefore, we do not remand to either the court or the arbitrator for determination of whether the arbitration agreement allows class arbitration. As a matter of law, the trial court could not compel class arbitration. We remand for individual arbitration.
CONCLUSION
¶27 We reverse the trial court’s order compelling class arbitration and remand for individual arbitration.
Review granted at 176 Wn.2d 1010 (2013).
Stolt-Nielsen S.A. v. AnimalFeeds Int’l Corp., 559 U.S. 662, 684, 130 S. Ct. 1758, 176 L. Ed. 2d 605 (2010).
The putative class consisted of “[a] 11 people who have been employed by Garda CL Northwest or its predecessor to work on armored trucks in the State of Washington and who, at any time between February 11, 2006 and the present, performed work that was not paid, and/or were denied meal and/or rest breaks.”
164 Wn. App. 668, 676, 267 P.3d 383 (2011).
Satomi Owners Ass’n v. Satomi, LLC, 167 Wn.2d 781, 797, 225 P.3d 213 (2009).
Satomi, 167 Wn.2d at 797.
Steele v. Lundgren, 85 Wn. App. 845, 850, 935 P.2d 671 (1997).
In granting discretionary review, the commissioner permitted the parties to brief the unconscionability issue, even though it did not merit discretionary review, stating, “The panel of judges that considers the appeal on the merits will be in the best position to determine which issues it will address.”
Ives v. Ramsden, 142 Wn. App. 369, 382-83, 174 P.3d 1231 (2008).
Ives, 142 Wn. App. at 383 (quoting Lake Wash. Sch. Dist. No. 414 v. Mobile Modules Nw., Inc., 28 Wn. App. 59, 61, 621 P.2d 791 (1980)).
Ives, 142 Wn. App. at 383 (quoting Shoreline Sch. Dist. No. 412 v. Shoreline Ass’n of Educ. Office Emps., 29 Wn. App. 956, 958, 631 P.2d 996 (1981)).
Otis Hous. Ass’n v. Ha, 165 Wn.2d 582, 588, 201 P.3d 309 (2009) (quoting Mobile Modules, 28 Wn. App. at 64).
Steele, 85 Wn. App. at 852 (internal quotation marks omitted) (quoting Fisher v. A.G. Becker Paribas Inc., 791 F.2d 691, 694 (9th Cir. 1986)).
Steele, 85 Wn. App. at 853.
The hearing was renoted two additional times — once so that counsel could go on a planned vacation and the second time so that Garda could depose the named plaintiffs.
See Steele, 85 Wn. App. at 854 (“Settlement is favored in public policy. Parties should be able to pursue settlement at any time without being viewed as acting inconsistently with arbitration.”).
85 Wn. App. 845, 847, 935 P.2d 671 (1997).
Steele, 85 Wn. App. at 853-55.
Steele, 85 Wn. App. at 854.
Steele, 85 Wn. App. at 855-56.
Steele, 85 Wn. App. at 856.
142 Wn. App 369, 384, 174 P.3d 1231 (2008).
Ives, 142 Wn. App. at 384.
Ives, 142 Wn. App. at 384.
54 Wn. App. 388, 395-96, 775 P.2d 960 (1989).
165 Wn.2d 582, 588, 201 P.3d 309 (2009).
Wright v. Universal Mar. Serv. Corp., 525 U.S. 70, 79-80, 119 S. Ct. 391, 142 L. Ed. 2d 361 (1998); see also Brundridge v. Fluor Fed. Servs., Inc., 109 Wn. App. 347, 355, 35 P.3d 389 (2001).
Brundridge, 109 Wn. App. at 355; see also Wright, 525 U.S. at 80-81.
Wright, 525 U.S. at 80.
109 Wn. App. 347, 35 P.3d 389 (2001).
Brundridge, 109 Wn. App. at 356 (alteration in original).
Brundridge, 109 Wn. App. at 356.
Berg v. Hudesman, 115 Wn.2d 657, 666, 801 P.2d 222 (1990).
Moses H. Cone Mem’l Hosp. v. Mercury Constr. Corp., 460 U.S. 1, 24-25, 103 S. Ct. 927, 74 L. Ed. 2d 765 (1983).
Minter v. Pierce Transit, 68 Wn. App. 528, 531-32, 843 P.2d 1128 (1993) (citing Republic Steel Corp. v. Maddox, 379 U.S. 650, 652-53, 657-58, 85 S. Ct. 614, 13 L. Ed. 2d 580 (1965)).
5 59 U.S. 662, 130 S. Ct. 1758, 176 L. Ed. 2d 605 (2010).
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 666. A charter party is a standard contract in the maritime trade.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 667.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 667.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 668.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 668.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 669 (alteration in original).
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 670.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 666.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 672.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 676.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 681 (quoting Volt Info. Scis., Inc. v. Bd. of Trs. of Leland Stanford Junior Univ., 489 U.S. 468, 479, 109 S. Ct. 1248, 103 L. Ed. 2d 488 (1989)).
47 Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 684 (citation omitted).
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 684.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 677.
Stolt-Nielsen, 559 U.S. at 677.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Lawrence Hill, Individually and on Behalf of All Persons Similarly Situated v. Garda CL Northwest, Inc.
- Cited By
- 7 cases
- Status
- Published