Luce & Co., S. en C. v. Minimum Wage Board

**What Happened** This case involved a dispute over unpaid wages between an employee named Rubén Darío Peña and his employer, Luce & Co. The employee claimed he was owed daily allowances (per diem payments) that the company had not paid. The matter went to arbitration, where an arbitrator ruled in favor of the employee and ordered the company to pay the missing allowances. **What the Court Decided** The company challenged the arbitrator's decision in court, arguing that the arbitrator had overstepped their authority and that certain contract terms violated public policy. The Puerto Rico Supreme Court rejected these arguments and upheld the arbitrator's award, ordering Luce & Co. to pay the employee the per diem allowances as determined by the arbitrator. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling strengthens workers' ability to recover unpaid wages through arbitration. It shows that employers cannot easily overturn arbitration decisions they don't like by claiming the arbitrator exceeded their authority. When workers win wage disputes in arbitration, courts will generally enforce those awards, providing workers with confidence that arbitration can be an effective way to recover money they're owed.