"Jamie Leigh Jones, now 22, says that after she was raped by multiple men at a KBR camp in the Green Zone (of Iraq), the company put her under guard in a shipping container with a bed and warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she'd be out of a job." – ABC News, 20/20
Read The Whole Story Here
What is just as appalling is that Jamie will never have an opportunity to hold her rapists or her employers accountable in a court of law. Her employment contract, like millions of other Americans, includes a Binding Mandatory Arbitration clause.
So instead of having her day in court, she’ll be forced into a privatized justice system with no public record.
"Since no criminal charges have been filed, the only other option, according to Hutson, is the civil system, which is the approach that Jones is trying now. But Jones' former employer doesn't want this case to see the inside of a civil courtroom. KBR has moved for Jones' claim to be heard in private arbitration, instead of a public courtroom. It says her employment contract requires it." – ABC News, 20/20
The Arbitration Fairness Act (H.R. 3010/S. 1782), would ban Binding Mandatory Arbitration clauses in contracts like Jamie’s, and also in most other consumer, franchise, and securities contracts.
Please take a second and send an e-mail to tell your Representatives to Cosponsor the Arbitration Fairness Act Today - just go to www.peopleoverprofits.org/jamiesstory
Just two days ago, December 12, 2007, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee heard testimony on the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007. So now is the time to write to your members of Congress and remind them to cosponsor AFA 2007.
So far, more than 60 members of Congress have joined the bill as cosponsors. Help add your members of Congress to the growing list by sending them a message right now.
Here is a sample letter that you can send on your own (go here to get the contact info for your Representatives)
Dear Representative/Senator
I ask you to consider the story of Jamie Leigh Jones who was hurt by a Binding Mandatory Arbitration clause:
"Jamie Leigh Jones, now 22, says that after she was raped by multiple men at a KBR camp in the Green Zone (of Iraq), the company put her under guard in a shipping container with a bed and warned her that if she left Iraq for medical treatment, she'd be out of a job.
Since no criminal charges have been filed, the only other option, according to Hutson, is the civil system, which is the approach that Jones is trying now.
But Jones' former employer doesn't want this case to see the inside of a civil courtroom.
KBR has moved for Jones' claim to be heard in private arbitration, instead of a public courtroom. It says her employment contract requires it.
In arbitration, there is no public record nor transcript of the proceedings, meaning that Jones' claims would not be heard before a judge and jury. Rather, a private arbitrator would decide Jones' case. In recent testimony before Congress, employment lawyer Cathy Ventrell-Monsees said that Halliburton won more than 80 percent of arbitration proceedings brought against it." -ABC News, 20/20
Jamie is just one of thousands of victims of Binding Mandatory Arbitration. These clauses, buried within many consumer contracts for credit cards, nursing homes and car purchases, stack the deck against ordinary Americans and force consumers to give up their rights before a dispute even occurs.
Although it is too late to fix this particular injustice, you have a chance to prevent thousands of more Americans from facing the same fate.
I urge you to cosponsor the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007 because it will ban pre-dispute Binding Mandatory Arbitration clauses in consumer and employment contracts. Without Binding Mandatory Arbitration clauses for big businesses to hide behind, American consumers will be able to hold companies accountable.
These clauses have already hurt thousands of Americans already, and will continue to do so if Congress doesn’t pass the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007.
Again, I urge you to cosponsor the Arbitration Fairness Act of 2007 which bans the unfair practice and allows hard-working Americans to seek justice through the courts, often the only place they can face powerful interests on a level playing field.
Sincerely,
Join me in making sure that America never has to see another case like Jamie Leigh Jones, please take a moment and contact your Representatives today.