Court Opinion

ID: 9750593
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-28 15:09:32.105034+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T07:25:40.226446
License: Public Domain

*325McADAMS, J., Concurring.
I agree with my colleagues that Code of Civil Procedure section 425.16 (section 425.16) does not authorize a motion to strike an arbitration claim pending in an arbitral forum under the circumstances present in the matter before us. I write separately in order to commend and comment upon the trial court’s attempt to resolve what was essentially an arbitration dispute.
In spite of the inartful pleadings and the unusual procedural posture of the case, the trial court recognized the essence of the dispute between the parties as a disagreement over proceeding to arbitration: The former employer viewed the matter as a breach of the employment contract and subject to arbitration under the terms of that agreement; the former employee claimed he was being forced into arbitration for engaging in constitutionally protected activity. Each side sought the protection of the court in support of its position concerning the former employer’s demand for arbitration.
Courts in California have long recognized that “California law, like federal law, favors enforcement of valid arbitration agreements.” (Armendariz v. Foundation Health Psychcare Services, Inc. (2000) 24 Cal.4th 83, 97 [99 Cal.Rptr.2d 745, 6 P.3d 669]; see also Code Civ. Proc., § 1281.) However, the arbitrability of a claim is a matter to be decided by the court. (Freeman v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co. (1975) 14 Cal.3d 473, 479-480 [121 Cal.Rptr. 477, 535 P.2d 341]; Code Civ. Proc., § 1281.2; see also Litton Financial Printing Div. v. NLRB (1991) 501 U.S. 190, 208 [115 L.Ed.2d 177, 111 S.Ct. 2215] [“Whether or not a company is bound to arbitrate, as well as what issues it must arbitrate, is a matter to be determined by the court, and a party cannot be forced to ‘arbitrate the arbitrability question’ ”].)
Here, the trial court sensed that it was the responsibility of the court to consider and resolve whether constitutional rights might be implicated in this demand for arbitration, as opposed to declining to entertain the claim and thus delegating the determination to an arbitrator or leaving the former employee with no forum for consideration of his constitutional claim. Without ruling on the correctness of the trial court’s conclusions or suggesting the outcome of any further proceedings, I commend the trial court’s instincts. The problem is that the issue was presented to the trial court through a section 425.16 special motion to strike, a procedural device not available under the pleading and procedural posture of this case.
*326Therefore, I would remand the matter for further consideration of the issue of arbitrability where a party to an otherwise valid arbitration agreement objects to arbitration, in a proper law and motion proceeding, based on the assertion that the claim sought to be arbitrated involves a constitutionally protected activity.
Respondent’s petition for review by the Supreme Court was denied March 14, 2007, S150058.