California Court Mulls Fate of Distinct, Debated Labor Law

Handy Technologies Inc. tried to convince a state appeals court that a unique California law deputizing workers to sue for labor violations won’t survive scrutiny under a US Supreme Court ruling.

Justices on the California Court of Appeal, Second District, however, pointed to a 2014 state supreme court ruling that held claims under the Private Attorneys General Act aren’t subject to arbitration because they are claims brought on the state’s behalf. The justices were trying to figure out how to make the US high court ruling work with California’s high court precedent.

Handy, a gig company offering cleaning and handyman ...