From the Economic Policy Institute (http://www.epi.org/):
There’s a growing threat to workers’ rights that you may not have heard of, but today impacts over 60 million U.S. workers. It’s called forced arbitration.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments about forced arbitration in National Labor Relations Board v. Murphy Oil USA, Inc., and the Court will decide whether workers should have to sign away their rights to take their employers to court, just to obtain, or keep, their jobs.
Forced arbitration is a tool employers use to prevent their employees from seeking justice in court when disputes arise in the workplace. Arbitration is a form of private dispute resolution in which the employer and employees submit their dispute to a professional arbitrator (usually a private lawyer), who will hear both sides’ positions and decide who wins. The arbitrator’s decision is legally binding and generally non-appealable in court—meaning, it’s final. And usually, the arbitrator deciding the dispute is chosen by the employer.
These legal agreements are becoming more and more common in the private sector. EPI research shows that between 1992 and today, the share of employees subject to forced arbitration has increased from just 2 percent to 56 percent! That means that 56 percent of U.S. workers whose legal rights are violated by their employer are not able to pursue a claim in court.
This is particularly striking at a time when the entertainment industry is reeling from the revelations of Harvey Weinstein’s alleged sexual abuse of female employees and actors.
EPI’s research was used by the plaintiffs in the recent U.S. Supreme Court case. We’re proud to stand with U.S. workers and protect the rights of all working people.
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