A Win for #MeToo and Employees

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In an era of intense divisiveness, Congress came together for a great cause last week. The House voted with strong bipartisan support for the Ending Forced Arbitration for Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act, with the Senate voting the same week to send the bill to the White House. This is a huge win for employees and victims of sexual assault, as the bill will restore the legal rights of employees and many others who experience sexual assault or harassment on the job. Read More: Public Justice

When you are hired for a company, often you sign papers on condition to start work. Sometimes, corporations will put in a mandatory arbitration clause for sexual assault, meaning if you face sexual harassment in the workplace, you will have to go through a secretive process rather than a traditional public courtroom. Making employees go through this behind-closed-doors process, rather than being heard by a jury of peers, gives corporations too much power and control over the process. Additionally, it’s nearly impossible to appeal arbitration. It’s not true justice. 

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By ending forced arbitration, Congress put people first. Workers will be able to bring wrongdoing to light and will have a fighting chance at justice. Predators in the workplace will not be able to hide behind the closed doors of forced arbitration, and employees will be protected from abuse so they can focus on doing their job. A debt of gratitude is owed to Gretchen Carlson, former Fox News host, who spent the last five years being a voice for the silenced with her nonprofit, Lift Our Voices, and Public Citizen, American Association of Justice, Public Justice, and Alliance for Justice for leading the way. We are grateful to our activists -- you made your voice heard, and you made a difference. We applaud Congress for coming together for victims of sexual assault, and we urge Congress to pass the FAIR Act to end forced arbitration for consumers! 
Tell your lawmakers to take action on the FAIR Act here:  #EndForcedArbitration

By Kelly Taft, Development & Operations Director, Texas Watch

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