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Page Number: 3.0

Cite as:  601 U. S. ____ (2024) 

1 

Opinion of the Court 

NOTICE: This opinion is subject to formal revision before publication in the 
United  States  Reports.  Readers  are  requested  to  notify  the  Reporter  of 
Decisions,  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  Washington,  D. C.  20543, 
pio@supremecourt.gov, of any typographical or other formal errors. 

SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES 

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No. 22–1218 
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WENDY SMITH, ET AL., PETITIONERS v. 
KEITH SPIZZIRRI, ET AL. 

ON WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF 
APPEALS FOR THE NINTH CIRCUIT 

[May 16, 2024] 

JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR delivered the opinion of the Court. 
The Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) sets forth procedures
for enforcing arbitration agreements in federal court.  Sec-
tion 3 of the FAA specifies that, when a dispute is subject 
to arbitration, the court “shall on application of one of the 
parties  stay  the  trial  of  the  action  until  [the]  arbitration”
has concluded.  9 U. S. C. §3.  The question here is whether 
§3 permits a court to dismiss the case instead of issuing a
stay when the dispute is subject to arbitration and a party
requests a stay pending arbitration.  It does not. 

I 
Petitioners are current and former delivery drivers for an
on-demand delivery service operated by respondents.  They
sued respondents in Arizona state court, alleging violations
of federal and state employment laws.  Petitioners claimed 
that  respondents  misclassified  them  as  independent  con-
tractors,  failed  to  pay  required  minimum  and  overtime 
wages, and failed to provide paid sick leave.  After removing
the case to federal court, respondents moved to compel ar-
bitration and dismiss the suit.  Petitioners conceded that all 
of their claims were arbitrable, but they argued that §3 of