CRST and Werner settle driver contract lawsuit

CRST Van Expedited has announced that it has reached a settlement with Werner Enterprises regarding the lawsuit it brought against Werner to protect its driver-training and driver employment contract program.

The settlement specifies that until Aug. 1, 2015, Werner must determine the contract status of any CRST driver it is interested in hiring and refrain from hiring anyone under contract to CRST.

The suit, which was filed in California in 2004, alleged that Werner had hired drivers who were actually under contract to CRST. In March, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejected Werner’s position that the CRST driver contracts were “at will” employment relationships, and ruled that CRST had properly stated claims against Werner for “intentional interference with contract, violation of the California Unfair Competition Law, and interference with CRST’s prospective economic advantage.”

The decision in favor of CRST made it possible for CRST to come to a successful resolution of the suit with Werner.