Punching In: Union Leaders Gear Up to Tackle AI in Future Talks

Regulatory attorney Christopher Riano was quoted in a Bloomberg Law article summarizing U.S. Supreme Court oral arguments in Flowers Foods v. Brock, a case addressing whether "last mile" delivery drivers fall within the Federal Arbitration Act's transportation worker exemption. Specifically, court is weighing whether workers have to physically cross state lines to be covered by the exemption or merely participating in the broader interstate supply chain suffices. The article noted that although the case centers on that question, several justices also raised a separate issue that could shape future litigation: if the transfer of ownership of goods to an independent distributor ends the flow of interstate commerce and affects whether the worker remains exempt from mandatory arbitration. Mr. Riano observed that these questions suggest the court may continue to define the exemption incrementally.

"It's not insignificant that the justices brought up alternative theories that could be presented again in a different court case down the line," he said.

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