In response to the House of Representatives’ passage of the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act (H.R. 963) today, Public Justice released the following statement: Today’s bipartisan vote by the House to end forced arbitration reflects a growing realization among voters that these agreements are…
By Karla Gilbride, Public Justice Access to Justice Project Co-Director *Editor’s Note: On February 10, the Senate unanimously passed the Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Harassment Act of 2021. In our extremely polarized nation, few issues enjoy bipartisan support. But on the question…
By Karla Gilbride Cartwright-Baron Senior Attorney What Leo Tolstoy said in Anna Karenina about unhappy families could also be said about consumer transactions or employment relationships that turn sour: each one “is unhappy in its own way.” For some types of disputes, a worker or consumer may…
Public Justice is proud to support the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal (FAIR) Act (H.R. 963), which was reintroduced in February 2021. In February 2021, a hearing on the FAIR Act was held, entitled “Justice is Restored: Ending Forced Arbitration and Protecting Fundamental Rights.” On Wednesday,…
In 2019, Congress held hearings on the FAIR Act, a bill that would make it illegal to force employment, consumer, antitrust and civil rights disputes into arbitration. The Institute for Legal Reform, an affiliate of the nation’s chief big business lobby – the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – tried to influence that legislative debate with a report claiming that arbitration is actually better for workers than going to court.
By Paul Bland Executive Director It is no accident that many of President-Elect Biden’s first personnel announcements have been key appointments aimed at strengthening the country’s economy. Biden is sending a clear message that important “pocket book issues” will be a central part of his…
By Ellen Noble Staff Attorney This past summer an email expressing abhorrent, racist views of a white supremacist group was circulated by a (now former) JAMS arbitrator. While JAMS quickly severed its relationship with the arbitrator, the incident revived calls for arbitration providers to do…
By Rodolfo Padilla Legal Fellow Current federal law strongly favors enforcing arbitration clauses against workers. But there are limits, and Judge Edward M. Chen of the Northern District of California found they were reached in this case. The court held that an arbitration contract between…
Karla Gilbride Cartwright-Baron Senior Attorney What Leo Tolstoy said in Anna Karenina about unhappy families could also be said about consumer transactions or employment relationships that turn sour: each one “is unhappy in its own way.” For some types of disputes, a worker or consumer…
The Trump administration, which has also reduced the use of penalties against nursing homes that mistreat residents, characterizes arbitration agreements as advantageous to both facilities and patients because it allows for quicker resolution of disputes without the expensive costs of litigation. In actuality, though, the administration is placing the interests of giant corporations above some of the country’s most vulnerable citizens.
