CBRE Labor Board Case Is ‘Bellwether’ for Forced Arbitration

A couple of cases against real estate firm CBRE will test the limits of a recent Supreme Court decision that gave businesses the green light to require workers to sign mandatory arbitration pacts.

Steve Thoma sued CBRE Group Inc., the world’s largest commercial real estate firm, in federal court in March 2017 for unpaid wages. Thoma also filed a complaint with the five-member, GOP-controlled National Labor Relations Board alleging the company’s mandatory arbitration policy violated federal labor law.

The Supreme Court in May said arbitration agreements are generally permissible. The CBRE case and similar challenges will explore if and when ...