Contracts are a Fundamental Tool of Power for Corporations. Many Need to be Prohibited.

Hi everyone,

Democracy Journal just published my latest op-ed where I detail how many types of contracts like arbitration agreements, nondisclosure agreements, exclusive deals, and noncompetes are used to exploit workers, consumers, and small businesses and keep them under the control of dominant corporations.

I conclude that our public institutions must ban these types of contracts and more.

The full article can be read here.

The first paragraph is below. Enjoy.

Contracts are unavoidable. From signing up for an online account, joining a new company for employment, signing a rental agreement, or even parking a car in a public garage—contracts are ubiquitous. But, while contracts may be omnipresent, they are not benign. As a legal instrument that defines the rights and obligations of the parties involved, corporations can use contracts for a variety of nefarious purposes such as restricting access to markets, limiting the mobility of workers, invading privacy rights, and even limiting one’s ability to sue another party in court. In the case of arbitration contracts, which force parties to litigate in a private forum rather than a court, aggrieved parties were only able to obtain damages in less than 5 percent of suits. Since contracts are so powerful, it is no wonder they have become a crucial mechanism for corporations to entrench and expand their power over consumers, businesses, and workers.

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