Southwest Airlines Co. v. Saxon

Summary

Justice Thomas delivered the opinion for all eight participating Justices, affirming the Seventh Circuit. The Court held that the relevant class of workers under §1 of the Federal Arbitration Act is determined by the work its members actually perform, not by their employer’s industry generally. Ramp supervisors who frequently load and unload cargo on airplanes traveling interstate belong to a class of workers engaged in foreign or interstate commerce and are therefore exempt from the FAA. Workers need not personally cross state lines to qualify. The Court did not decide whether supervision of cargo loading alone would suffice. There were no separate opinions, and Justice Barrett did not participate.