Medline Loses Bid to Make Warehouse Worker Arbitrate Wage Claims

Medline Industries Inc. must defend against allegations of wage-and-hour violations in court after a judge rejected the company’s attempt to make the suing warehouse worker arbitrate instead.

The medical supplies and equipment company tried to enforce an arbitration agreement the worker signed nearly half a year before filing the would-be class action. But the warehouse employee falls under the Federal Arbitration Act’s exemption for transportation workers, the US District Court for the Eastern District of California said.

Deja Nair accuses Medline of violating California employment laws and seeks to represent a group of similarly situated hourly warehouse workers. The ...