Fairway Collections, Llc, Res/cross-app V. Michael I. Turner, App/cross-resp

**Court Rules Union Workers Must Use Arbitration for Wage Disputes** This case involved a wage theft dispute between Fairway Collections LLC and Michael Turner, an employee of University Mechanical & Engineering Contractors, Inc. Turner filed claims under California's Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA), which allows workers to sue employers on behalf of the state for labor law violations, including unpaid wages. The court sided with the employer and ruled that Turner could not pursue his wage theft claims in regular court. Instead, the judge determined that Turner must use arbitration - a private dispute resolution process - because his union's collective bargaining agreement required it. The court dismissed Turner's PAGA claims, saying they were subject to the arbitration clause in the union contract. This ruling matters for unionized workers because it shows that collective bargaining agreements can limit where and how wage disputes are resolved. Even when workers want to use PAGA to fight wage theft in court, they may be forced into arbitration if their union contract requires it. Workers should understand what dispute resolution procedures their union contracts contain, as these agreements can affect their options when facing workplace violations.