Grievance Arbitration Between State of Hawai'i Organization of Police Officers ex rel. Mejia v. Hawai'i County Police Department

# Plain English Summary: Mejia v. Hawai'i County Police Department **What Happened** Officer Mejia filed a complaint claiming the Hawai'i County Police Department discriminated against him and broke the terms of his employment contract. He took his case to arbitration—a private process where a neutral person hears both sides and makes a decision. The arbitrator agreed with Mejia and awarded him compensation. **What the Court Decided** The Hawai'i Court of Appeals reversed this decision. The court ruled that questions about how police officers are classified and reassigned cannot be settled through arbitration. Instead, these matters must be handled through the regular court system or other official channels. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling limits where public sector employees can resolve certain workplace disputes. If your case involves job classification or reassignment, you may not be able to use arbitration—even if your employment contract includes arbitration terms. You would need to pursue your claim through courts instead. This can affect how quickly and affordably you resolve employment disputes.