NCL statement on Supreme Court decision in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes et al – National Consumers League

June 20, 2011

Contact: NCL Communications, (202) 835-3323, media@nclnet.org

The following statement is attributable to National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg:

The Supreme Court today continued its disappointing assault on the interests of consumers and workers. As in its previous decisions in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion and AT&T v. Hulteen, a divided Court in Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes et al found that the rights of consumers and workers matter less than those of the nation’s largest corporations.

NCL condemns this decision. Workers must have access to the courts to collectively pursue redress of grievances. We concur with Justice Ginsburg’s dissent, where she noted that this decision “leads the court to train its attention on what distinguishes individual class members, rather than on what unites them.”

The courts are the ultimate protector of consumer and worker rights against the excesses of big business. In this role, the highest court in the country today failed. We call on the Congress to seek a legislative remedy to this decision, restore workers’ protections from discrimination and allow for easier collective access to the court system.

###

About the National Consumers League

The National Consumers League, founded in 1899, is America’s pioneer consumer organization. Our mission is to protect and promote social and economic justice for consumers and workers in the United States and abroad. For more information, visit www.nclnet.org.