On 21 May, the court ruled by 5-4 that companies could require workers to sign away the option of bringing class-action claims against management. Existing arbitration agreements tend to relate to wages and hours, but could apply more broadly to issues of discrimination and sexual harassment. The ruling is a victory for employers who have long argued that they should be able to force employees into binding arbitration.
On 21 May, the court ruled by 5-4 that companies could require workers to sign away the option of bringing class-action claims against management. Existing arbitration agreements tend to relate to wages and hours, but could apply more broadly to issues of discrimination and sexual harassment. Craig Becker, general counsel of the AFL-CIO union federation, claimed that the ruling would “cripple enforcement of all the major employment laws”.