Lewis sued Epic after he, along with other writers, was forced to sign such an agreement which would bar him from taking any complaints over his pay or hours to court. Instead, the agreement mandated that Lewis and other employees settle disputes individually, in internal hearings with the company.

Epic moved to dismiss his suit, but it was upheld in federal district court and in the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals last year. Both courts agreed that Epic’s arbitration policy violated federal law.

What is the legal conflict here?

The cases present a conflict between two federal laws: the National Labor Relations Act of 1935, which provides for and encourages employees to collectively bargain and sue over labor disputes, and the Federal Arbitration Act of 1925, which states that arbitration agreements “shall be valid, irrevocable, and enforceable.”

Justices will decide whether mandatory arbitration between employers and employees violates the National Labor Relations Act, or whether it is legal because of the Federal Arbitration Act.