Fisher v. GE Medical Systems

**Fisher v. GE Medical Systems: Court Requires Workers to Use Company Mediation Program** This case involved workers at GE Medical Systems who claimed the company failed to pay them proper wages, violating federal wage and hour laws. The employees wanted to take their case directly to court to resolve their pay disputes. However, GE argued that the workers had previously agreed to use the company's internal dispute resolution program called "RESOLVE" instead of going to court. This program required mediation - a process where a neutral third party helps both sides try to reach an agreement - before any lawsuit could proceed. The court sided with GE Medical Systems. The judge ruled that the workers' agreement to use the RESOLVE mediation program was legally binding and enforceable under federal law. As a result, the court put the workers' wage theft lawsuit on hold until they completed the required mediation process first. **What this means for workers:** If you sign an agreement with your employer requiring mediation or arbitration for workplace disputes, courts will likely enforce it. This means you may have to go through your company's internal process before you can file a lawsuit, even for serious issues like unpaid wages. Always carefully review any dispute resolution agreements before signing employment documents.