California’s Workplace Arbitration Law Blocked by Judge (1)

California’s novel law to limit the use of workplace arbitration agreements won’t go into effect in January thanks to a federal judge’s Dec. 30 order.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other business groups raised serious questions about whether the Federal Arbitration Act preempts the state’s employment arbitration law, U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller said in her order granting a temporary restraining order against the law.

California’s restriction on workplace arbitration would prohibit employers from requiring that job applicants or workers sign arbitration pacts as a condition of employment. That represents a departure from other states’ tactic of declaring that ...