Walton v. Roosevelt University

Summary

The court held that section 301 of the Labor Management Relations Act preempts Biometric Information Privacy Act claims brought by bargaining-unit employees when the employer invokes a broad management-rights clause in the applicable collective bargaining agreement. Because resolving the claims requires determining whether the union consented to the employer’s biometric timekeeping practices, the dispute must proceed under federal labor law and the collective bargaining agreement. The court answered the certified question affirmatively, affirmed the appellate court, and remanded for further proceedings.