barrentine freight system argued january decided april petitioner truckdrivers paid time spent conducting required pretrip safety inspection respondent employer motor carrier trucks transporting trucks fail inspection employer repair facility petitioners union submitted wage claim petitioners pretrip inspection transportation time joint grievance committee pursuant agreement petitioners employer joint committee rejected claim without explanation petitioners filed action federal district alleging pretrip safety inspection transportation time compensable fair labor standards act flsa therefore entitled statutory remedy actual liquidated damages costs reasonable attorney fees also alleged respondent union breached duty fair representation sought joint grievance committee decision set aside proper compensation awarded agreement district addressed claim rejected appeals affirmed also held district correct addressing flsa claim concluding petitioners voluntary submission grievances arbitration barred asserting statutory wage claims subsequent action held petitioners wage claims flsa barred prior submission grievances contractual procedures pp flsa rights petitioners seek assert independent process rights devolve petitioners individual workers members union waivable courts defer arbitral decision employee claim based rights arising agreement different considerations apply employee claim based rights arising statute flsa designed provide minimum substantive guarantees individual workers cf alexander pp two reasons employee right minimum wage overtime pay flsa might lost submission wage claim arbitration precluded later bringing flsa suit federal first even employee claim meritorious union might without breaching duty fair representation reasonably good faith decide support claim vigorously arbitration second even union fairly fully presented employee wage claim employee statutory rights might still adequately protected arbitrator required effectuate intent parties rather enforce statute may issue ruling inimical public policies underlying flsa thus depriving employee protected statutory rights furthermore arbitral procedures less protective individual statutory rights judicial procedures also arbitrators often powerless grant aggrieved employees broad range relief flsa courts award actual liquidated damages reasonable attorney fees costs whereas arbitrator award compensation authorized wage provisions agreement pp brennan delivered opinion stewart white marshall blackmun powell stevens joined burger filed dissenting opinion rehnquist joined post david vladeck argued cause petitioners briefs alan morrison arthur fox ii walton maurras argued cause filed brief respondents briefs amici curiae urging reversal filed solicitor general mccree deputy solicitor general geller barbara etkind donald shire lois williams mautner albert woll laurence gold american federation labor congress industrial organizations justice brennan delivered opinion issue case whether employee may bring action federal district alleging violation minimum wage provisions fair labor standards act stat amended et unsuccessfully submitted wage claim based underlying facts joint grievance committee pursuant provisions union agreement petitioner truckdrivers employed little rock terminal respondent freight systems interstate motor carrier freight accordance federal regulations employment practices petitioners required conduct safety inspection trucks commencing trip transport truck failing inspection repair facility see cfr petitioners compensated employer time spent complying requirements pursuant agreement petitioners union respondent local international brotherhood teamsters chauffeurs warehousemen helpers petitioner barrentine another driver filed series grievances alleged art agreement requires compensate drivers time spent service entitled compensation pretrip inspection transportation time petitioners union presented grievances joint grievance committee final binding decision pursuant art agreement joint committee composed three representatives union three representatives employer rejected grievances without explanation app march petitioners filed action district eastern district arkansas first count complaint petitioners alleged pretrip safety inspection transportation time compensable fair labor standards act et accordingly entitled statutory remedy actual liquidated damages costs reasonable attorney fees second count petitioners alleged union president breached union duty fair representation apparently entering side deal regarding compensation pretrip inspection transportation time respect claim petitioners sought decision joint grievance committee set aside proper compensation awarded agreement district addressed fair representation claim conceded evidence seems rather predominate favor finding side agreement petitioners alleged found existence agreement give rise breach union duty fair representation labor laws permit parties actions fill gaps always arise written instrument apply instrument multiplicity situations practices app pet cert ruling affirmed unanimous panel appeals eighth circuit challenged one judge dissenting appeals also held district correct addressing merits petitioners flsa claim emphasizing national labor policy encourages arbitration labor disputes stated wage disputes arising flsa may subject binding arbitration collective bargaining agreement provides least situations employees knowingly voluntarily submit grievances arbitration terms agreement finding petitioners voluntarily submitted grievances arbitration concluded barred asserting statutory wage claim subsequently filed action granted certiorari reverse ii two aspects national labor policy tension case first reflected statutes governing relationships employers unions encourages negotiation terms conditions employment process second reflected statutes governing relationships employers individual employees guarantees covered employees specific substantive rights tension arises policies parties agreement make employee entitlement substantive statutory rights subject contractual procedures national policy favoring collective bargaining industrial first expressed national labor relations act et seq wagner act received expression definition labor management relations act et seq act predicated assumption individual workers little bargaining power pooling economic strength acting labor organization freely chosen majority employees appropriate unit effective means bargaining improvements wages hours working conditions nlrb mfg statutes reflect congress determination improve economic workers thus promote industrial peace interests employees bargaining unit may subordinated collective interests majority see vaca sipes rights established system majority rule thus protected sake instrument national labor policy minimizing industrial strife encouraging practice procedure collective bargaining emporium capwell western addition community inal adjustment method agreed upon parties declared desirable method settlement grievance disputes arising application interpretation existing agreement respondents contend aspect national labor policy encouraging collective bargaining industrial requires affirmance appeals note agreement petitioners union requires controversy parties agreement resolved binding contractual grievance procedures see supra note local processed petitioners grievances accordance procedures district made unchallenged finding union breach duty fair representation accordingly conclude petitioners barred bringing statutory component wage claim federal reject argument disputes employee employer suited binding resolution accordance procedures established collective bargaining courts defer arbitral decision employee claim based rights arising agreement different considerations apply employee claim based rights arising statute designed provide minimum substantive guarantees individual workers considerations basis decision alexander case petitioner black employee discharged respondent employer allegedly producing many defective parts claiming discharge racially motivated petitioner asked union pursue grievance arbitration procedure set forth agreement union relying nondiscrimination clause agreement arbitrator found petitioner discharged cause petitioner brought action title vii civil rights act federal district based facts arbitrator district granted summary judgment employer holding petitioner bound prior adverse arbitral decision appeals affirmed reversed concluding employee statutory right trial de novo title vii foreclosed prior submission discrimination claim final arbitration agreement found enacting title vii congress granted individual employees nonwaivable public law right equal employment opportunities separate distinct rights created majoritarian processes collective bargaining moreover congress granted aggrieved employees access courts contractual grievance arbitration procedures provided inadequate forum enforcement title vii rights concluded title vii claims resolved courts de novo respondents distinguish ground petitioners flsa claim based dispute wages hours subjects heart process claim particularly well suited resolution collectively bargained grievance arbitration procedures contention misperceives nature petitioners flsa claim principal congressional purpose enacting fair labor standards act protect covered workers substandard wages oppressive working hours labor conditions detrimental maintenance minimum standard living necessary health efficiency general workers contrast labor management relations act designed minimize industrial strife improve working conditions encouraging employees promote interests collectively flsa designed give specific minimum protections individual workers ensure employee covered act receive fair day pay fair day work protected evil overwork well underpay overnight motor transportation missel quoting cong rec message president roosevelt statutory enforcement scheme grants individual employees broad access courts section act contains principal enforcement provisions permits aggrieved employee bring statutory wage hour claim federal state competent jurisdiction exhaustion requirement procedural barriers set forum enforcement statutory rights referred created statute decisions interpreting flsa frequently emphasized nonwaivable nature individual employee right minimum wage overtime pay act thus held flsa rights abridged contract otherwise waived nullify purposes statute thwart legislative policies designed effectuate brooklyn savings bank see schulte gangi walling helmerich payne overnight motor transportation missel supra see cfr moreover held congressionally granted flsa rights take precedence conflicting provisions collectively bargained compensation arrangement see martino michigan window cleaning walling harnischfeger jewell ridge coal mine workers stated tennessee coal iron muscoda local omitted fair labor standards act designed codify perpetuate industry customs contracts congress intended instead achieve uniform national policy guaranteeing compensation work employment engaged employees covered act custom contract falling short basic policy like agreement pay less minimum wage requirements utilized deprive employees statutory rights second even union fairly fully presented employee wage claim employee statutory rights might still adequately protected specialized competence arbitrators pertains primarily law shop law land see steelworkers warrior gulf navigation many arbitrators may conversant public law considerations underlying flsa flsa claims typically involve complex mixed questions fact law constitutes regular rate principal rather preliminary postliminary activities statutory questions must resolved light volumes legislative history four decades legal interpretation administrative rulings although arbitrator may competent resolve many preliminary factual questions whether employee punched said may lack competence decide ultimate legal issue whether employee right minimum wage overtime pay statute violated moreover even though particular arbitrator may competent interpret apply statutory law may contractual authority arbitrator power derived limited agreement general authority invoke public laws conflict bargain parties ibid task limited construing meaning agreement effectuate collective intent parties accordingly arbitral decision based solely upon arbitrator view requirements enacted legislation rather interpretation agreement arbitrator exceeded scope submission award enforced quoting steelworkers enterprise wheel car finally arbitral procedures less protective individual statutory rights judicial procedures see supra arbitrators often powerless grant aggrieved employees broad range relief flsa courts award actual liquidated damages reasonable attorney fees costs arbitrator contrast award compensation authorized wage provision agreement confined interpretation application collective bargaining agreement award legitimate long draws essence collective bargaining agreement steelworkers enterprise wheel car supra unlikely authorized award liquidated damages costs attorney fees iii sum flsa rights petitioners seek assert action independent process devolve petitioners individual workers members collective organization waivable congress intended give individual employees right bring claims flsa congressionally granted flsa rights best protected judicial rather arbitral forum hold petitioners claim barred prior submission grievances contractual procedures stated submitting grievance arbitration employee seeks vindicate contractual right agreement contrast filing lawsuit statute employee asserts independent statutory rights accorded congress distinctly separate nature contractual statutory rights vitiated merely violated result factual occurrence certainly inconsistency results permitting rights enforced respectively appropriate forums reversed footnotes second driver seates longer party litigation article part employees covered agreement shall paid time spent service employer rates pay provided agreement shall minimums time shall computed time employee ordered report work registers time effectively released duty payment employee time driving shall hourly rate app respondents contend grievances presented claim flsa addition claim agreement see although neither district appeals addressed contention judge heaney dissenting opinion appeals concluded petitioners intent submit flsa claim arbitration submitted arbitration hold petitioners precluded bringing action federal either case need resolve factual dispute article part unions employers agree shall strikes lockouts tieups legal proceedings without first using possible means settlement provided agreement national agreement applicable controversy might arise disputes shall first taken employer local union involved failing adjustment parties following procedure shall apply state multiple state committee majority vote settles dispute appeal may taken southern conference area grievance committee decision final binding parties app plaintiffs included barrentine seates three drivers whose claims later dismissed failure answer interrogatories four drivers although last four drivers never formally submitted grievances joint committee district refused dismiss complaints failure exhaust internal grievance arbitration procedures concluding resort procedures futile light joint committee denial barrentine grievance district thus treat ed case though named plaintiffs actually filed grievances considered denied app pet cert district treatment claims challenged appeal holding depend whether petitioners formally filed grievances need address correctness district approach exhaustion issue petitioners principally relied upon flsa stat amended provides every employer shall pay employees engaged commerce production goods commerce wages following rates except provided subsection section employer shall subject liability punishment fair labor standards act amended account failure employer pay employee minimum wages account following activities walking riding traveling actual place performance principal activity activities employee employed perform activities preliminary postliminary said principal activity activities occur prior time particular workday employee commences principal activity activities notwithstanding provisions subsection section relieve employer liability punishment respect activity employer shall relieved activity compensable either express provision written nonwritten contract effect time activity employee agent representative employer custom practice effect time activity establishment place employee employed covering activity inconsistent written nonwritten contract effect time activity employee agent representative employer section act stat amended provides employer violates minimum wage provisions title shall liable employee employees affected amount unpaid minimum wages additional equal amount liquidated damages action shall addition judgment awarded plaintiff plaintiffs allow reasonable attorney fee paid defendant costs action district also noted petitioners agreement read literally require compensation time question since question driver inspecting vehicle employer business app pet cert nonetheless found breach duty fair representation obliged let decision joint committee stand respect contractual claim appeals agreed conclusion also noted literal terms agreement appeared cover disputed time stated vaca sipes employee claim based upon breach collective bargaining agreement bound terms agreement govern manner contractual rights may enforced arbitration process tainted union breach duty fair representation may employee pursue grievance courts hines anchor motor freight vaca sipes supra alternative ground support affirmance respondents assert petitioners claims barred petitioners failed comply provides employee shall party plaintiff flsa enforcement action unless gives consent writing become party consent filed action brought cf bulk carriers arguelles seaman may assert wage claim federal seaman wage act even though previously pursued arbitral remedies provided contractual grievance procedures mckinney employee returning military service need pursue grievance arbitration procedure prior asserting seniority rights federal universal military training service act three components petitioners flsa claim first contend pretrip inspection transportation time compensable flsa constitutes principal rather preliminary activity act amendments see steiner mitchell second contend even preliminary activity compensable act amendments constitutes time spent service employer art agreement third contend even preliminary activity even compensable express provision written collective bargaining agreement compensable act amendments custom practice effect drivers terminals whereby drivers compensated pretrip inspection transportation time threshold question action whether petitioners engaged activities preliminary principal activity conducted pretrip safety inspections vehicles resolution question requires inquiry whether inspection transportation procedures integral indispensable part principal activities petitioners employed steiner mitchell supra changing clothes showering principal activities employees working dangerously caustic toxic materials see mitchell king packing knife sharpening principal activity butchers meat packing plant cfr reasons follow conclude question statutory construction must resolved courts congress enacted flsa commerce power found existence detrimental labor conditions endanger national health efficiency consequently interfere free movement goods interstate commerce see darby mandatory language congress provided act employer shall pay employees wages following rates provided act employer shall employ employees workweek longer forty hours unless employee receives compensation employment excess hours specified rate less one times regular rate employed encourage employees enforce flsa rights thus public policies underlying flsa see brooklyn savings bank congress permitted individual employees sue back wages liquidated damages receive reasonable attorney fees costs addition congress empowered secretary labor bring judicial enforcement actions act see othing knowledge act authorizes us give decisive weight contract declarations regular rate result collective bargaining bay ridge operating aaron mployees deprived benefits act simply well paid represented strong bargaining agents jewell ridge coal true flsa amended includes number references agreements see tennessee coal iron muscoda local sections flsa state employer need pay overtime act employee performance work excess statutory maximum employee employed pursuance agreement containing alternative maximum hours provisions made result collective bargaining representatives employees certified bona fide national labor relations board section act amendments excludes definition hours worked flsa time spent changing clothes washing beginning end workday time noncompensable bona fide agreement act excludes compensable time preliminary postliminary working activities requires compensation minimum wage provisions agreement effect employer employee union makes time compensable see also plaintiff claim depends upon application one exceptions assume without deciding defer prior arbitral decision construing relevant provisions agreement case however petitioners threshold claim depend upon application exceptions contention petitioners engaged compensable principal activity conducting pretrip safety inspections claim arises wholly independently agreement accordingly deference prior arbitral decision case inappropriate see supra cf humphrey moore ready find breach collective bargaining agent duty fair representation taking good faith position contrary individuals represents supporting position one group employees another ford motor huffman noted substantial proportion labor arbitrators lawyers see also bernhardt polygraphic particularly true respect members joint grievance committees drawn ranks management union leadership hold arbitral decision evidentiary bearing subsequent flsa action decided decision may admitted evidence adopt standards weight accorded arbitral decision since must determined discretion regard facts circumstances case relevant factors include existence provisions collective bargaining agreement conform substantially statute degree procedural fairness arbitral forum adequacy record respect issue discrimination special competence particular arbitrators arbitral determination gives full consideration employee statutory rights may properly accord great weight especially true issue solely one fact specifically addressed parties decided arbitrator basis adequate record even crucial provision agreement incorporates statutory language arbitrator authority resolve questions contractual rights authority remains regardless whether certain contractual rights similar duplicative substantive rights secured statute chief justice burger justice rehnquist joins dissenting today moves rather blithely seems unnecessarily direction counter needs interests workers employers contrary interests judicial system theory result advances congressional policy careful analysis reveals congress anything mandated contrary funds appropriated congress executive branch department justice judicial branch undertaken studies pilot programs remove routine relatively claims courts today moves precisely opposite direction ignoring objectives congress agreement parties common sense situation moves toward making federal courts small claims courts contrary constitutional concept courts special limited jurisdiction agree course congressionally created right individual workers minimum wage fair labor standards act may waived agreement employer worker union direct agreement individual worker employer brooklyn savings bank also agree act creates private cause action vindicate right minimum wage fair labor standards act different indeed totally different proposition say employees employers may agree means enforcing employees routine wage claims outside costly cumbersome judicial process federal courts specifically employees acting union negotiation employer may bind petitioners submit final binding arbitration controversy might arise app rather resolve litigation federal courts existence right provision judicial forum necessarily make either nonwaivable holdings countless decisions federal state courts parties bound contracts arbitrate placed doubt question whether statutory right may waived depends upon intention congress manifested particular statute brooklyn saving bank supra unfortunately neither parties amicus curiae point clear answer question legislative history fair labor standards act hornbook law however strong congressional policy favoring grievance procedures arbitration method resolving labor disputes see labor management relations act act acknowledged policy past see steelworkers warrior gulf navigation steelworkers enterprise wheel car textile workers lincoln mills today pays lipservice congressional policy ante paradoxically ignores reasons favoring arbitration wise obvious litigation costly time consuming point case judges less adapted nuances disputes typically arise shops factories shop stewards business agents managerial supervisors traditional ad hoc panels factfinders see steelworkers warrior gulf navigation supra bringing together persons actually involved workplace often assisted neutral arbitrator experienced matters disputes resolved swiftly cheaply mechanism promotes industrial harmony avoids strikes conflicts provides swift fair inexpensive remedy policy favoring extrajudicial methods resolving disputes reflected areas well federal courts flooded litigation increasing volume length variety novel forms national institute justice leadership attorney general griffin bell launched program field studies test whether mediation neighborhood level resolve small disputes courts fashion satisfactory parties neighborhood justice centers field test final evaluation report results study similar studies financed private sources confirmed many long suspected small disputes may resolved swiftly satisfaction parties without employing cumbersome expensive processes litigation national institute justice recommended study implementation similar procedures neighborhood justice centers field test supra congress recognized problem authorized studies dispute resolution act stat ii rejecting binding arbitration resolution relatively simple wage claim arising fair labor standards act thereby rejects well policy congress followed least half century throughout field labor relations applied areas well reach strange result relies holding alexander case sense compels today holding congressionally created right title vii civil rights act et aimed guaranteeing workplace free discrimination racial otherwise fundamental right subject waiver agreement negotiated union obviously vast difference resolving allegations discrimination civil rights act settling relatively typical simple wage dispute parties expressly agreed resolve grievances arbitration long history union discrimination minorities women happily receding led congress forbid discrimination unions well employers see background union discrimination congress aware context claims civil rights act unions sometimes adversary workers plainly comport congressional objectives behind statute seeking enforce civil rights protected title vii allow forces practiced discrimination contract away right enforce civil rights courts federal courts defer arbitral decisions reached combination forces long perpetuated invidious discrimination made foxes guardians chickens case discrimination case even beyond historical fact union discrimination observed arbitrators likely needed experience deal special issues arising civil rights act statute whose broad language frequently given meaning reference public law concepts leaving resolution discrimination claims persons unfamiliar congressional policies behind statute undermined enforcement fundamental rights congress intended protect tension seen ante simply present dispute wages fair labor standards act arises entirely different historical legal context setting union employee traditional allies enforcing wage claims employees individually well collectively distorts possibility union leadership might fail protect members interests wage dispute ante rare exception arose protection employee abundantly available way cause action breach union duty fair representation see vaca sipes despite contrary view ante whether time spent driver inspection vehicle taking road required federal law transportation vehicle repair facility necessary constituted compensable time federal wage laws app petitioner barrentine grievance factual question well suited disposition grievance processes arbitration following factors relevant vehicle inspection mandated employer federal regulation cfr regulation places responsibility inspect vehicle driver directly inspection intended primarily benefit public petitioners claim one wages bargaining wages produced rate well statutory minimum wage presumably took account time spent drivers complying federal requirements allowing one party elementary industrial dispute unilaterally resort federal courts established simplified less costly procedure available desired employer employee union increase costs consume judicial time unnecessarily makes neither good sense sound law read broad language written civil rights discrimination case govern routine wage dispute matter traditionally entrusted parties bargaining binding arbitration iii seems unaware people patience judicial process wearing thin holding runs counter every study every exhortation judiciary executive congress urging establishment reasonable mechanisms keep matters kind courts see pound conference perspectives justice future passim west pub american bar report national conference minor disputes resolution passim federal government noted earlier spent millions dollars pilot programs experimenting extrajudicial procedures simpler mechanisms resolve disputes approving extrajudicial resolution procedure question means matter tailoring means problem involved resolution minor disputes joint hearings subcommittee courts civil liberties administration justice house committee judiciary subcommittee consumer protection finance house committee interstate foreign commerce testimony assistant attorney general meador oblivious desperately needed changes keep federal courts inundated disputes kind handled swiftly cheaply methods civil filings fiscal year increase even increases numbers judges number cases per judge risen annual report director administrative office courts period number appeals docketed courts appeals rose caseload per panel increased see dispute resolution yale judicial conference joined conference chief justices american bar association sponsor conference search ways improving justice emphasis alternative means resolving disputes see pound conference perspectives justice future west pub cases matters voluntarily referred centers three study cities atlanta kansas city los angeles resolved form either hearing simply placing parties contact neighborhood justice centers field test final evaluation report resolution came within matter days weeks ibid interviews conducted one disputants mediated cases six months later complainants respondents satisfied experience complainants respondents satisfied agreement reached addition felt adverse party kept bargain fewer felt additional problems arisen see steelworkers weber sources cited therein burger dissenting indeed count petitioners complaint alleged respondent local breached duty fair representation app district expressly rejected claim oral ruling app pet cert even though found evidence side agreement local employer petitioners challenged findings fact appeals held clearly erroneous