Timely email from MoveOn.Org Rape and the US Chamber of Commerce

[Guest guest]

This just came to me after I posted this morning about stopping the Gang

rape of US citizens by the deceit of the US Chamber over the mold issue.

Clicking here will sign your name: _ " Defense contractors

routinely force their employees to give up their legal rights to press charges

if they are sexually assaulted on the job. I urge the U.S. Chamber of

Commerce to stop lobbying in favor of this terrible practice. " _

(http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=1)

(http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=2)

_Sign the petition_

(http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=3)

Dear MoveOn member,

In 2005, Leigh was working for a private contractor in Iraq

when she was brutally gang-raped by coworkers.1 Four years later, is

still being denied justice.

can't file U.S. criminal charges because the rape took place

overseas, and a fine-print clause in her contract takes away her right to file

a

lawsuit in the U.S.2

Why? Because big corporations, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have

worked for years to prevent workers from suing their employers in almost any

circumstance, even sexual assault.3

The good news is that a bipartisan group in Congress is working to protect

the rights of rape victims like . But, shockingly, the U.S. Chamber of

Commerce is fighting it.

They sent a letter to Congress saying that it would " set a dangerous

precedent " to allow rape victims into court.4 The worst news? The Chamber has

enough clout to tie up the bill for years, unless we fight back.

Clicking here will add your name to our petition telling the U.S. Chamber

of Commerce to stop opposing the rights of rape victims:

_http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=4_

(http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=4)

Then, forward this petition to your friends so we can keep it going.

Leigh is not alone. Beth Kineston was a truck driver with

a private contractor in Iraq when she was sexually assaulted by one

coworker and groped by another. When Beth complained to her supervisors,

she

was fired. Like , Beth was blocked from bringing charges in U.S.

court.5

Workers who are sexually assaulted while working for defense contractors

overseas typically have few options. They can't bring charges in the country

where the crime was committed, and they are blocked from U.S. courts as

well. Their only option is to go before a secretive, private panel where the

process is heavily biased in favor of corporations.6

has teamed up with organizations like the National Alliance to End

Sexual Violence, Public Citizen, and others to end this injustice. Congress

is considering an amendment to do just that, but they've run into a massive

lobbying campaign led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber says it will " set a dangerous precedent " to allow these sexual

assault victims to bring their cases to court.

Clicking here will add your name to our petition telling the U.S. Chamber

of Commerce to stop opposing the rights of rape victims:

_http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=5_

(http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=5)

Thanks for all you do.

–, Nita, Noah, , and the rest of the team

Sources:

1. " Testimony of Leigh to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on

Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, " December 19, 2007

_http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85228 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=6_

(http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85228 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=6) [PDF]

" Testimony of Leigh to the House Committee on Education and

Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, " February 12,

2008

_http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85227 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=7_

(http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85227 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=7)

(http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85228 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=8)

2. " Naked, Sore, Bruised, and Bleeding: Alleged U.S. Contractor Rape

Victim Fights for her Day in Court, " ABC News, October 7, 2009

_http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85229 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=9_

(http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85229 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=9)

3. " Chamber Research Flawed; Empirical Studies Prove That Arbitration

Harms Consumers, " Public Citizen, July 29, 2008

_http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85231 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=10_

(http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85231 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=10)

" Letter in opposition to H.R. 3010, the 'Arbitration Fairness Act,' sent

to House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, " U.S. Chamber of

Commerce, October 24, 2007

_http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85233 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=11_

(http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85233 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=11)

4. Letter Opposing the Leigh Amendment, U.S. Chamber of

Commerce, et al., October 6, 2009

_http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85226 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=12_

(http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85226 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=12)

5. " Limbo for U.S. Women Reporting Iraq Assaults, " The New York Times,

February 13, 2008

_http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85225 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=13_

(http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85225 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=13)

6. " Mandatory Arbitration Clauses: Undermining the Rights of Consumers,

Employees, and Small Businesses, " Fair Arbitration Now, January 1, 2007

_http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85230 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=14_

(http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85230 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=14)

Sharon Noonan Kramer

[Guest guest]

I had something like this happen to me, the guy got fired and I got treated like

crap until I couldn't take it no more and quit. I had climbed the ladder and

worked harder than most the men there,

I had a right to sue from the EEOC, I find that theres way to many lawyers who

take cases when they have conflict of interests and dont intend on helping you,

but the other side. there is something really really wrong with the justice

system and the sandards that lawyers are held to. it really is all about money

and who you know. it is all about favors, and it's all about who's in each

others pockets.

and it very possably who is related to who.

>

> This just came to me after I posted this morning about stopping the Gang

> rape of US citizens by the deceit of the US Chamber over the mold issue.

>

>

> Clicking here will sign your name: _ " Defense contractors

> routinely force their employees to give up their legal rights to press

charges

> if they are sexually assaulted on the job. I urge the U.S. Chamber of

> Commerce to stop lobbying in favor of this terrible practice. " _

> (http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=1)

> (http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=2)

> _Sign the petition_

> (http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=3)

> Dear MoveOn member,

> In 2005, Leigh was working for a private contractor in Iraq

> when she was brutally gang-raped by coworkers.1 Four years later, is

> still being denied justice.

> can't file U.S. criminal charges because the rape took place

> overseas, and a fine-print clause in her contract takes away her right to

file a

> lawsuit in the U.S.2

> Why? Because big corporations, led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, have

> worked for years to prevent workers from suing their employers in almost any

> circumstance, even sexual assault.3

> The good news is that a bipartisan group in Congress is working to protect

> the rights of rape victims like . But, shockingly, the U.S. Chamber of

> Commerce is fighting it.

> They sent a letter to Congress saying that it would " set a dangerous

> precedent " to allow rape victims into court.4 The worst news? The Chamber has

> enough clout to tie up the bill for years, unless we fight back.

> Clicking here will add your name to our petition telling the U.S. Chamber

> of Commerce to stop opposing the rights of rape victims:

> _http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=4_

> (http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=4)

> Then, forward this petition to your friends so we can keep it going.

> Leigh is not alone. Beth Kineston was a truck driver with

> a private contractor in Iraq when she was sexually assaulted by one

> coworker and groped by another. When Beth complained to her supervisors,

she

> was fired. Like , Beth was blocked from bringing charges in U.S.

> court.5

> Workers who are sexually assaulted while working for defense contractors

> overseas typically have few options. They can't bring charges in the country

> where the crime was committed, and they are blocked from U.S. courts as

> well. Their only option is to go before a secretive, private panel where the

> process is heavily biased in favor of corporations.6

> has teamed up with organizations like the National Alliance to End

> Sexual Violence, Public Citizen, and others to end this injustice. Congress

> is considering an amendment to do just that, but they've run into a massive

> lobbying campaign led by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

> The Chamber says it will " set a dangerous precedent " to allow these sexual

> assault victims to bring their cases to court.

> Clicking here will add your name to our petition telling the U.S. Chamber

> of Commerce to stop opposing the rights of rape victims:

> _http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=5_

> (http://pol.moveon.org/chamber/rape/o.pl?id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=5)

> Thanks for all you do.

> †" , Nita, Noah, , and the rest of the team

> Sources:

> 1. " Testimony of Leigh to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on

> Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security, " December 19, 2007

> _http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85228 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=6_

> (http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85228 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=6) [PDF]

> " Testimony of Leigh to the House Committee on Education and

> Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions, " February 12,

> 2008

> _http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85227 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=7_

> (http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85227 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=7)

> (http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85228 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=8)

> 2. " Naked, Sore, Bruised, and Bleeding: Alleged U.S. Contractor Rape

> Victim Fights for her Day in Court, " ABC News, October 7, 2009

> _http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85229 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=9_

> (http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85229 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=9)

> 3. " Chamber Research Flawed; Empirical Studies Prove That Arbitration

> Harms Consumers, " Public Citizen, July 29, 2008

> _http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85231 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=10_

> (http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85231 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=10)

> " Letter in opposition to H.R. 3010, the 'Arbitration Fairness Act,' sent

> to House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, " U.S. Chamber of

> Commerce, October 24, 2007

> _http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85233 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=11_

> (http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85233 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=11)

> 4. Letter Opposing the Leigh Amendment, U.S. Chamber of

> Commerce, et al., October 6, 2009

> _http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85226 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=12_

> (http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85226 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=12)

> 5. " Limbo for U.S. Women Reporting Iraq Assaults, " The New York Times,

> February 13, 2008

> _http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85225 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=13_

> (http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85225 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=13)

> 6. " Mandatory Arbitration Clauses: Undermining the Rights of Consumers,

> Employees, and Small Businesses, " Fair Arbitration Now, January 1, 2007

> _http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85230 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=14_

> (http://www.moveon.org/r?r=85230 & id=17974-5733985-FYnDXnx & t=14)

>

> Sharon Noonan Kramer

>

>

>