Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)
Latest Events and News
Meyer Tool to pay $325K to settle OFCCP suit alleging racial discrimination
The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs announced that federal government contractor Meyer Tool Inc. has agreed to settle allegations of hiring discrimination on the basis of race involving 60 African-American applicants who were rejected for entry-level machinist positions at the company's manufacturing plant in Cincinnati. Under the terms of the agreement, Meyer Tool will pay $325,000 to the 60 applicants and extend job offers to at least 11 members of the original class as positions become available.
"Workers should never be denied a fair shot at employment because of factors that have absolutely nothing to do with their ability to do the job," said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. "I am pleased that we were able to reach a fair settlement with Meyer Tool — one that will provide remedies to the affected workers and guarantee that, going forward, qualified applicants of all races and backgrounds will have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field for good jobs."
Read the Labor Department's news release for more information.
Minnesota-Based Manufacturer to Pay Workers Nearly $300K to Settle OFCCP Suit Alleging Sex Discrimination
OFCCP has settled its lawsuit against federal contractor Lund Boat Co. and its parent the Brunswick Corp. The agreement settles allegations that the companies systematically discriminated against women who applied for entry-level positions at Lund’s boat manufacturing plant in New York Mills, Minn. Under the terms of a consent judgment approved by the department's Office of Administrative Law Judges, Brunswick and Lund have agreed to pay $295,000 in back wages and interest to 185 female job applicants who were rejected for employment. The companies will also extend job offers to at least 27 women in the original class as general laborer positions open.
"I am pleased that we were able to reach a fair settlement in this case, one which will provide immediate relief to the women involved and lasting protections for all job seekers who apply to work for Lund and Brunswick in the future," said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. "OFCCP is committed to making sure that companies that hold federal contracts — profiting from taxpayer dollars — give workers a fair shot at employment and do not use gender as a factor when it comes to deciding who gets a job and who doesn't."
Read the Labor Department's news release for more information.
Back Pay and Job Offers to 253 Minority Applicants as Leprino Foods Settles Discrimination Case with US Labor Department
Leprino Foods Inc, one of the largest producers of mozzarella cheese in the world, has entered into a consent decree to settle allegations of systemic hiring discrimination. As result, 253 qualified Asian, Hispanic and African-American job applicants who were rejected for employment at the company's Lemoore West facility will share $550,000 in back wages, interest and benefits.
The consent decree resolves OFCCP's allegations that Leprino Foods' use of a pre-employment test called WorkKeys to select hires for on-call laborer positions resulted in discrimination. OFCCP's investigation found that the WorkKeys exam was not job-related and disproportionately screened out minority job applicants based on skills that were not critical to the entry-level tasks actually performed by on-call laborers. "While employers can and should hire the most qualified workers for the job, they cannot create artificial barriers to employment that unfairly block any individual from competing for good jobs," said OFCCP Director Patricia Shiu.
Under the terms of the consent decree, Leprino has agreed to discontinue use of the test for this purpose, undertake extensive self-monitoring measures, hire at least 13 of the original class members and immediately correct any discriminatory practices.
Read the Labor Department's news release in English and en Español for more information.
DOL settles hiring discrimination case with Baldor Electric
OFCCP has reached an agreement with Baldor Electric Co. to settle allegations of systemic discrimination stemming from the company's applicant screening process at its facility in Fort Smith, Ark. Investigators determined that Baldor's hiring process for production and laborer positions discriminated against 795 female and minority applicants, denying them the opportunity to advance to the interview stage.
Under terms of the agreement, Baldor will pay a total of $2 million in back wages and interest to the qualified applicants and will make at least 50 job offers to members of the original class as positions become available.
"Discrimination is preventable when employers have certain processes in place and see to it that they are followed," said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. "That's why it's so important for federal contractors to implement their affirmative action programs, keep accurate employment records and commit to ending barriers to fair employment. A proactive strategy is the best way to guarantee that all workers have an equal opportunity to succeed in the workplace. Plus, it's the law."
Read the Labor Department's news release for more information.
