Update: Chamber responds: ‘MoveOn versus the truth’

Liberal activist group MoveOn is furious with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for lobbying against rules which have prevented rape victims from having their day in court.

In a mass e-mail, the group cites the 2005 gang rape of KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones. Jones was raped while in Iraq, which barred her complaint to a U.S. court due to her signature on a form agreeing to enter binding arbitration for any disputes.

ADVERTISEMENT

“Why?” asked the e-mail. “Because big corporations, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have worked for years to prevent workers from suing their employers in almost any circumstance, even sexual assault.”

Jones won the right to sue when the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals found in Sept. that her assault was not in any way related to her employment, therefore nullifying restrictions in her employee contract.

Months ago, controversy over victims’ right to sue while already having agreed to binding arbitration led Republican lawmakers to vote against a provision put forward by Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) that aimed at giving Jamie Leigh and other assaulted women a path to justice.

When MSNBC host Rachel Maddow tried to find out why, the 30 Republican senators who voted against the bill refused to explain. Most Republicans had characterized the measure as inappropriate, suggesting that Congress would be rewriting employee contracts.

In addition to the senators who fought Franken’s legislation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was writing letters to members of Congress protesting the legislation. The chamber specifically targeted the Judiciary Committee and the Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law.

ADVERTISEMENT

In a letter archived by MoveOn [PDF link], the chamber argued that allowing rape victims the right to sue their employers “would dissolve any realistic chance of the consumer having an effective forum available to them in which to resolve their claim.”

Because of the chamber’s resistance, MoveOn is promoting a petition to encourage the business group to stop lobbying against reforms of arbitration rules.

“Organizations endorsing the petition include the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, Public Citizen, Consumer Action, Workplace Fairness, National Association of Consumer Advocates, Take Back Your Rights PAC, Alliance for Justice, and the Jamie Leigh Foundation,” the group noted.

ADVERTISEMENT

Sen. Franken’s amendment passed on Oct. 6 by a vote of 68-30.

“It means that every tear shed to go public and repeat my story over and over again to make a difference for other women was worth it,” Jamie Leigh said outside the Senate chamber, after hugging Sen. Franken.

ADVERTISEMENT

Chamber responds: ‘MoveOn versus the truth

Tita Freeman, Executive Director for Communications and Strategy for the US Chamber of Commerce, fought back at the organization’s blog against the MoveOn petition, arguing that the Obama administration shared their concerns.

Freeman writes

ADVERTISEMENT