A California meatpacker has finally settled a workplace discrimination lawsuit. Clougherty Packing Co. has agreed to pay over $400,000 to approximately 2,000 women who sought jobs at the company between the years of 2007 and 2009. They will also offer 700 of the woman involved in the suit jobs as positions within the company open up. The settlement does not acknowledge wrongdoing, but it does settle the workplace discrimination lawsuit.
The woman involved had applied for various jobs at the meatpacking company to include packaging, cutting and slicing of the products. The company is involved in pork manufacturing and makes of 400 million pounds of product annually. The company’s subsidiary, Hormel, has denied wrongdoing in the lawsuit and stated they have a commitment to ensuring the workplace is free of discrimination.
Hormel claims to have settled the lawsuit because it was the best way to make forward progress in their business operations. The agreement came after an investigation from the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, although the results of that investigation have not been divulged. The director of the company’s compliance program has stated the company reflects ‘American values,’ and emphasized those values included a fair place to work.
When a California employee feels like they are the victim of workplace discrimination, they likely have legal rights. Such discrimination is illegal and can place a strain on workers who have to deal with it. A successful workplace discrimination claim can result in a monetary settlement and changes to the workplace that could result in a fair and equal work environment for everyone.
Source: News.Yahoo.com, “So. Calif. meatpacker settles discrimination claim,” Dec. 18, 2012