The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced the final approval of a settlement of discrimination claims against Quietflex Manufacturing Company, L.P., which produces flexible air conditioning ducts and component products. U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal approved a settlement in which the company’s insurer will pay $2.8 million to 78 current and former Latino employees. The company denies the allegations in the lawsuit.
Who Filed the Lawsuit: Seventy-eight Latino employees, represented by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. (MALDEF) sued Quietflex in October 2001. They alleged the company discriminated against them based on their national origin in its transfer and compensation policies. The EEOC intervened in the lawsuit as an additional plaintiff shortly after the suit was filed based on an assertion that the case raised issues of general public importance.
Allegations: The lawsuit alleged that Latinos were denied entry into a department with jobs that were higher-paying and had better working conditions than the departments in which Latinos worked. They also alleged retaliation based on their terminations stemming from a work stoppage in January 2000.
In addition to the monetary payments, the company will also implement policies and practices to advance equal employment opportunity.