ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL LEADS U.S. SUPREME COURT BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF TRANSPORTATION WORKERS’ RIGHTS

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL LEADS U.S. SUPREME COURT BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF TRANSPORTATION WORKERS' RIGHTS

January 23, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 15 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court urging it to uphold a lower court decision that "last-mile" truck drivers are exempted from the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA). Raoul and the coalition filed their brief in support of a last-mile truck driver in Flowers Foods v. Brock.

At issue in the case is whether truck drivers responsible for completing the final, intrastate portion of a product's interstate delivery fall within the exemption for transportation workers in the FAA. The FAA requires workers to raise claims against their employer in private arbitration proceedings when they have signed an arbitration agreement. However, there is an exemption within the FAA for transportation workers.

"We have seen the critical role all truck drivers play in keeping our states running efficiently, and there is no reason to treat some truck drivers differently than others simply because of the section of the route that they drive," Raoul said. "I urge the Supreme Court to uphold the lower court's decision, and allow states to better protect these essential workers from unsafe and unlawful working conditions."

The coalition's brief explains that it is in the best interest of workers and state regulators that disputes involving the transportation of goods that are critical to states' economies and infrastructure be addressed through an open and public process. When disputes are resolved in public and transparent proceedings, as opposed to private and confidential arbitration proceedings, regulators are better able to monitor such disputes and respond as necessary.

The amicus brief is the latest action Raoul has led with other state attorneys general to protect the rights of workers. In 2023, Raoul led a multistate coalition in filing in a similar amicus brief in support of workers in Bissonnette v. LePage Bakeries. At issue in the case was whether truck drivers for a food company and similar "private fleet" drivers fall within the exemption for transportation workers in the FAA. The court ruled in favor of the workers in that case and found that the exemption did apply.

In 2002, Raoul led a coalition that filed another similar amicus brief before the U.S. Supreme Court supporting transportation workers' rights in Southwest Airlines Co. v. Saxon. At issue in that case was whether transportation workers who load and unload interstate cargo are exempt from the Federal Arbitration Act. The court ruled also in favor of the workers in that case and found that the exemption did apply.

Attorney General Raoul encourages workers who have concerns about wage and hour violations or potentially unsafe working conditions to call his Workplace Rights Hotline at 1-844-740-5076 or visit the Attorney General's website to file an online complaint.

Joining Raoul in filing today's brief were the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont.