Dear Honorable Members of Congress,

This month will go down in history.  Congress will finally stand up to corporations in defense of Americans’ rights to their day in court.  Over the last twenty years, corporations, with the help of the Supreme Court, have systematically dismantled workers’ abilities to hold their employers accountable when facing harassment, discrimination, wage theft and retaliation.  Workers have been bound and gagged by forced arbitration policies that make it easy to suppress reports of misconduct. Consumers are losing all avenues to hold the providers of goods and services accountable for violations of product safety and data privacy standards.  By forcing arbitration, these corporations face no legal repercussions for their misconduct. By Congress allowing corporations to force arbitration, Congress distorts our free market and tells Americans “laws don’t matter; you have no rights”.  Consequently, Congress also gives nursing homes, schools and churches a green light to force arbitration on their respective patients, students and congregants - leaving virtually no aspect of American life untouched by the specter of forced arbitration.

But this month you have the power to turn the tide.  You have the power to even the playing field for American workers and consumers.  By passing the Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act, the FAIR Act (HR1423), you signal to voters that no one and no corporation is above the law.  You tell voters that you see through the disingenuous attempts of corporations to provide ‘cheaper, faster and fairer’ paths to justice … because this country is founded on the right to a free and fair trial.  

We the undersigned represent workers and consumers across the country who support the FAIR Act.  We are not seeking the elimination of arbitration altogether; we just don't want to be forced into arbitration. Many of us have been restricted by confidentiality orders and could not approach you personally, but we break our silence today in hopes that will realize a silent majority will no longer be silent when it comes to our civil and judicial rights.

Sincerely,

The American Public