As of February 15, 2023, California employers can require employees to agree to arbitrate most employment disputes as a condition of employment after the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, in Chamber of Commerce of the U.S., et al.
You can't be required to accept mandatory arbitration. You can agree to resolve an issue through arbitration if you think that's a better way of resolving the dispute.
If you continue to work after you are informed that a forced arbitration agreement governs your employment, you may be bound by it, even if you refuse to sign it. If you quit – or if you are fired for refusing to sign the “agreement”- you may not have any grounds to sue.
If possible, avoid the use of technical jargon or "shop talk." Remember that the arbitrator may not know the details of your work or the Postal Service. However, if you must use "shop talk" to clarify a point, be sure to briefly define what you mean.
What is an arbitration agreement? It's typically a clause in a broader contract in which you agree to settle out of court, through arbitration cases, any dispute that arises with your counterpart.
In sectors where the workers are delivering what the government has determined is an essential service, binding arbitration is mandatory and strikes and lockouts are illegal.
A submission agreement is a contract between two parties that establishes the use of arbitration to settle any disputes that may arise between them. This type of contract is used when the contract parties have an agreement that does not already provide arbitration as an option for dispute resolution.
Outline a concise factual background and then move on to a discussion of the issues at the heart of the case. Your arguments should flow easily from the relevant facts and applicable law. And, by all means, avoid exaggeration of the strengths of your case as well as disparagement of the opposing side.
To give you an idea of the process that arbitration typically involves, the American Arbitration Association describes artibtration as having five main steps: Filing and initiation. Arbitrator selection. Preliminary hearing. Information exchange and preparation. Hearings. Post hearing submissions. Award.