tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com — It will affect any company, such as KBR, once it signs a new contract. (And the major contractors sign a lot of contracts.) Here's the real bite to the restriction: It will affect the entire company, and everyone who works for it. So the second KBR signs a new contract, Jones -- and anyone else with similar claims -- will be able to take her case
Dec 19, 2009 View in Crawl 4
Closed AccountDec 20, 2009
its even sadder when 30 people vote against it because its a so-called "liberal" bill and those are evil
ralphthemagiDec 20, 2009
Rape victims can already have their case heard in a criminal court – Amendment or not.What this Amendment actually does it allow alleged rape victims the ability to void an arbitration clause so that they can bring a civil suit against a government-contracted employer before a criminal indictment.
railzDec 20, 2009
The DoD is allowed its input on matters such at this, since they can make contracts without Presidential approval given they have the funding for it.
Closed AccountDec 20, 2009
gnuyen: That's what I originally thought, but malex's point makes me consider the section 2, subsection 4 of CPA Order 17, which states: "4) The Sending States of MNF Personnel shall have the right to exercise within Iraq any criminal and disciplinary jurisdiction conferred on them by the law of that Sending State over all persons subject to the military law of that Sending State."That suggests to me that criminal charges would be appropriate here, but I think the correct application of criminal charges would be to charge the employees who perpetrated the crime in this event, not the company itself. The company cannot be jailed for these actions. In Canada, I know, criminal charges against companies are typically for regulatory breaches and are not really like criminal charges against people.Also, I'm enjoying the fact that this section of the comments have remained civil. Thank you for that.
yurmutha412Dec 20, 2009
The article says that the white house was also against it, so let's add Obama into it. Also, Franken himself says no one should be calling the people who voted against pro rape.
ravichopraDec 20, 2009
If I get elected to government and decide that I think that companies that find it more expedient to use arbitration to protect themselves against litigation than to simply stop my employees from raping each other are loathsome and make a law saying that such companies can not get government contracts, that is my right. No one is forcing these companies to stop their employees from raping each other. If they dig on rape, they just don't take government-funded jobs. They know what they're getting into when they sign up for future government work; if they didn't read the law, then that's their fault.The concept of arbitration is lovely. The reality is a bit different. Much like banks' relationships with ratings agencies, the company selects the arbitrator for any given conflict. As a result, arbitrators who would like to remain employed for the long term lean heavily in favor of the companies who select them.There is, incidentally, no violation of a private corporation's right to control anything here. If they don't like the law, they can find work with some entity other than the US military. This has no retrospective power UNLESS they sign a new contract for more work. Don't want to live by that rule? Want to keep it up with the out-of-US-jurisdiction raping? Just don't sign any new contracts.Maybe you should consider sitting down and shutting up. Dolt.
joespacetimeDec 20, 2009
I heard he did some things... back in 1990...
rrwestDec 22, 2009
"Sign this or you won't get hired" in other areas of life would be called coercion.Any contracts which are signed under duress can usually be appealed in court since the signee had little choice in the matter. Its an agreement between two unequal parties.Its either sign or you don't get the job. That is beyond what is morally acceptable in my books. It borders on criminal.
hymneforthedeadDec 23, 2009
I think that already applies though. even if its not rape.