On the recordSeptember 10, 2019
I am proud to join my colleagues in the Democratic Women's Caucus in hosting this Special Order hour to raise awareness of the damage done by mandatory arbitration and of our support for H.R. 1423, the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act, or as we refer to it, the FAIR Act. We are pleased that the Judiciary Committee is holding a markup on this bill as we speak. Madam Speaker, what is stunning about this issue is that a recent study found that one is more likely to be struck by lightning than to win an arbitration case. In fact, the 5-year study found that, of 6,000 claims that were made on arbitration clauses, money awards were provided in only 137 cases. Today, my colleagues will read accounts from just some of the women who have experienced this miscarriage of justice firsthand. Over 60 million workers are subject to forced arbitration, but even those staggering numbers fail to fully illustrate the suffering and human plight caused by mandatory arbitration. Today, we share the experiences of women fighting back against the silence and shame, and we join them in demanding systemic change so that all workers are treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve. Sterling Jewelers, known to many of us as Jared Jewelers or Kay Jewelers--Diane Acampora. Perhaps no company better exemplifies the harm caused by mandatory arbitration than Sterling Jewelers.…
