Velasquez

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

I. Facts

A. Hiring, employment, and termination In July 2015, plaintiff was hired by Northgate Gonzalez Markets, Inc. (Northgate) to work as a “cocina clerk” in its Bell, California grocery store. In December 2018, plaintiff “severely injured” her hand. She was fired the next month.

2 B. Arbitration agreements 1. The 2015 Agreement On July 6, 2015, plaintiff was presented with a document called “Mutual Binding Arbitration Agreement” (the 2015 Agreement) as part of her new employee intake. She signed the 2015 Agreement. With regard to its scope, the 2015 Agreement requires both plaintiff and Northgate to arbitrate “any claim, dispute, and/or controversy . . . arising from, relating to, or having any relationship with or connection whatsoever” to plaintiff’s “employment” or “other association” with Northgate. With regard to procedures during arbitration, the 2015 Agreement provides in pertinent part that (1) the arbitrator “shall be a retired Judge, or otherwise qualified individual to whom the parties mutually agree, and shall be subject to disqualification on the same grounds as would apply to a judge of such court,” and (2) the…