Private AG Act Aids Abused Workers, California Tells High Court

A unique California law that allows employees to bring lawsuits on behalf of the state is a critical tool in fighting worker abuse, and the U.S. Supreme Court shouldn’t allow a federal arbitration law to override that power, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Wednesday.

Bonta filed a friend-of-the-court brief to the high court weighing in on a case, Viking River Cruises, Inc. v Moriana, which tests whether provisions of the Private Attorneys General Act are preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act. Under the law, “aggrieved employees” can file lawsuits as the state and avoid arbitration agreements that would ...