by Art Gutman Ph.D., Professor, Florida Institute of Technology
The Black Satchel Road distribution facility in Charlotte, North Carolina, the second-largest Coca-Cola bottling company in the United States, agreed to a $495,000 settlement to be distributed equally to 95 African-American and Hispanic jobseekers who applied for sales support positions. The company also agreed to make employment offers to the 95 applicants until at least 23 interested applicants are hired. Those hired will receive retroactive seniority benefits accruable since July 21, 2002. The settlements are a result of an OFCCP investigation showing statistically significant differences in the hiring rates of minorities versus non-minorities. In the words of the OFCCP:
OFCCP's statistical analysis determined that the disparity in hires was too great to occur solely by chance. Additionally, OFCCP found that the bottler's own records revealed instances in which rejected minority applicants had more experience and education than some non-minority hires.
The full text of the settlement may be found on the DOL web site.