A key factor in winning GOP support: The bill would still allow workers to opt for arbitration if that is their preference. That process, in which a private arbitrator litigates cases for the employer and employee, is often confidential.
“It does not hurt business to make sure that people who are harassed in the workplace get treated fairly,” Graham said. “It’s better for business.”
“This shows … that we’re listening to the world as it is,” he added. “The days of taking sexual harassment sexual assault claims, and burying them in the basement of arbitration are over.”
One important takeaway: The bill would be retroactive, nullifying any mandatory arbitration clauses in contracts that have already been signed.
“It not only affects the future, but affects those who signed in the past,” Schumer said.
Looking ahead: The House passed the measure by a vote of 335-97 earlier this week — meaning it heads next to the President Joe Biden’s desk.
Biden, who has issued a statement of administration policy backing the legislation, is expected to sign the bill.