Spero Electric Corporation v. International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Afl-Cio, Local Union No. 1377

# Spero Electric Corporation v. Local Union No. 1377 **What Happened** Spero Electric Corporation and the electrical workers union disagreed over the employer's ability to change workplace rules. An arbitrator—a neutral decision-maker chosen to settle labor disputes—sided with the union, ruling that the company had given up its right to unilaterally change work rules without union input. **The Court's Decision** The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the arbitrator's decision. The court found that the arbitrator overstepped his authority by ruling something that contradicted what the collective bargaining agreement (the contract between the company and union) actually said. The agreement clearly allowed the employer to change work rules on its own. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling clarifies the limits of arbitration authority in labor disputes. Arbitrators must follow what employment contracts actually state—they cannot ignore explicit contract language, even if they think a different outcome would be fairer. For workers, this means arbitration decisions can be overturned if arbitrators ignore the written agreement, but it also reinforces that contracts must be interpreted as written.