Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC v. United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 342

**Stop & Shop vs. Union: Court Supports Arbitration Process** This case arose when Stop & Shop supermarket and the United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 342 couldn't agree on who should serve as an arbitrator to resolve their workplace dispute. When parties can't choose an arbitrator together, they reached a deadlock in the selection process. The union challenged the federal court's decision to step in and appoint an arbitrator for them. The union argued that the court didn't have the authority to make this appointment. However, both the lower court and the Second Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed with the union's position. The Second Circuit affirmed that federal courts do have the power under the Federal Arbitration Act to appoint arbitrators when the parties cannot agree on one themselves. This prevents workplace disputes from getting stuck indefinitely when employers and unions can't compromise on arbitrator selection. **What this means for workers:** This ruling helps ensure that workplace disputes between unions and employers can still move forward to resolution even when both sides disagree about who should decide the case. It prevents either party from blocking the arbitration process by refusing to agree on an arbitrator, which could otherwise leave workplace issues unresolved.