Labor Relations.

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    • Abstract:
      Under the policy enunciated by the U.S. Supreme Court in three cases decided on June 20, the jurisdiction of federal courts hearing actions for specific performance of agreements to arbitrate or for enforcement of arbitration awards does not extend to an examination of the merits of the grievance which was submitted to arbitration. In the Court's view, the scope of judicial inquiry in such cases should be limited to determining whether the parties have in fact agreed to arbitrate disputes concerning the interpretation of their bargaining agreement, and whether the claim sought to be arbitrated is one which on its face is governed by the agreement. Justice William O. Douglas who delivered the opinion of the Court in each of the three cases, held that in an action for enforcement of an agreement to arbitrate, "The courts have no business weighing the merits of the grievance, considering whether there is equity in a particular claim, or determining whether there is particular language in the written instrument which will support the claim. The agreement is to submit all grievances to arbitration, not merely those the court will deem meritorious. The processing of even frivolous claims may have therapeutic values which those who are not a part of the plant environment may be quite unaware."