The plaintiff hotel workers’ union filed a grievance on behalf of one of its members who was terminated after displaying a knife in the workplace. The district court ordered the defendant to proceed to arbitration and the arbitrator determined that the employee’s actions justified a suspension without pay but did not supply just cause for discharge and ordered the employee reinstated with backpay. The defendant argued that the arbitrator should have been disqualified because he was already arbitrating another dispute between the parties. The Seventh Circuit affirmed, finding that there was nothing improper about the arbitrator’s selection or the substance of the award and affirmed the district court judgment confirming the award. (ROVNER and ST. EVE, concurring)
Federal 7th Circuit Court
Civil Court
Arbitration