Opinion ID: 176077
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Fraud or Corruption

Text: The appellants next complain that some of the parties to the arbitration engaged in fraud. They do not, however, even allege any wrongdoing on the part of the arbitrator. This omission defeats their claims. Section 153(First)(q) allows the arbitration award to be aside “for fraud or corruption by a member of the division [viz., an arbitrator] making the order.” As the plain statutory text suggests, the appellants were obligated to provide evidence of corruption on the part of the arbitrator, not on the part of parties to the arbitration. See Trial v. Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Ry. Co., 896 F.2d 120, 125–26 (5th Cir. 1990). We explained in Trial that a claim does not fall within the judicial review provisions of § 153 where “the fraud that the appellants allege was allegedly committed by [the railroad employer], not by an [NRAB] member.” Id.; see also Woodrum v. S. Ry. Co., 750 F.2d 876, 882 (11th Cir. 1985) (noting that § 153(First)(q) limits vacatur to “cases of ‘fraud or corruption by a member’” instead of the “more usual [rule] allow[ing] reopening without such limitation in case of any kind of fraud generally”). The appellants do not allege fraud on the part of the NRAB arbitrator, and their claim therefore fails. 6 Case: 10-50324 Document: 00511245374 Page: 7 Date Filed: 09/27/2010 No. 10-50324