Keith Russell v. Citigroup, Inc.

OPINION

SUTTON, Circuit Judge.

When Keith Russell accepted a job with Citicorp Credit Services, he agreed to arbitrate “all employment-related disputes” with the company. Does that mean he must arbitrate a case already pending in court when he signed the agreement? We think not.

I

From 2004 to 2009, Russell worked at Citicorp’s call center in Florence, Kentucky. As a condition of employment, he signed a standard contract to arbitrate his disputes with the company. The agreement covered individual claims but not class actions.

In January 2012, Russell filed a class action against the company. He…