Supreme Court Says Employers Can Bar Worker Class Actions

• Justices vote 5-4 along ideological lines to back employers • Ruling could affect rights of tens of millions of workers

A divided U.S. Supreme Court ruled that employers can force workers to use individual arbitration instead of class-action lawsuits to press legal claims. The decision potentially limits the rights of tens of millions of employees.

The justices, voting 5-4 along ideological lines, said for the first time Monday that employers can enforce arbitration agreements signed by workers, even if those accords bar group claims. The majority rejected contentions that federal labor law guarantees workers the right to join forces ...