Alaska Airlines, Inc. v. Stephenson
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
217 F.2d 295 (1954)
Relevant factsFree
Stephenson (plaintiff) accepted an oral job offer from Alaska Airlines (defendant), took an unpaid leave from his prior job, and moved his family to Alaska, but the airline repeatedly refused to sign a written contract, waiting on a federal operating certificate; by the time that certificate issue resolved, Stephenson's leave had expired, costing him his old job, and Alaska Airlines then fired him.
IssueFree
Whether the doctrine of promissory estoppel allows enforcement of an oral employment contract when a promise induces definite and substantial action or forbearance by the promisee.