NY Times Details the Proliferation of Compelled Arbitration Agreements in Consumer Transactions, Health Care Claims and Employment Relationships
The New York Times completed a three-part series on the increasing use of arbitration provisions in consumer transactions and employment relationships yesterday. The series slams the use and proliferation of mandatory arbitration provisions contained in agreements where there is unequal bargaining power and leverage between the contracting parties. It outlines the use of arbitration agreements to defeat class action lawsuits, the use of arbitration agreements in health care and the proliferation of such agreements in employment arrangements. For example, data cited by the NY Times found that the number of lawsuits forced into arbitration has been on a steady rise over the past decade, and highlights the fact that citizens are being denied their right to a jury trial under the U.S. Constitution. While the issue is much more complicated then the series would have you believe, there is no question that the growth of arbitration has been a very effective tool in defending ...