Labor Board Expands Workers’ Legal Rights
January 10, 2012
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In a ruling that affirms the importance and value of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the board declared that employers can no longer require workers to sign arbitration agreements that prohibit them from pursuing group claims in court.
The board ruled that any agreement requiring workers to waive all rights to file claims in court constitutes an unlawful bar on activity protected under the National Labor Relations Act.
The ruling applies to private sector non-management workers as well as union and non-union workers. According to some estimates, up to 25 percent of non-union workers have been required to sign agreements waiving their right to pursue legal claims over pay, working conditions and hours of employment.
