CSXT secures summary judgment against former employee seeking to overturn arbitration award

Client(s) CSX Corporation

Jones Day secured summary judgment for CSX Transportation, Inc. ("CSXT") in a case brought by a former employee who sought to overturn an arbitration award that had upheld his termination. After an on-property hearing, the plaintiff was terminated by CSXT for violating an operating rule that prohibited "[c]riminal conduct that may damage CSX's reputation or that endangers CSXT property, employees, customers or the public." He appealed to the Public Law Board ("PLB"), which upheld the termination. He then filed suit in federal district court seeking to set aside the PLB's award under the Railway Labor Act. The court held that the dispute was properly before the PLB and that the PLB arguably interpreted or applied the parties' collective bargaining agreement; thus, it refused to vacate the award.

Stevens v. CSX Transportation, Inc., No. 0-17-cv-00074 (E.D. Ky.)