Leading Tire Corporation Agrees To Pay $2,000,000 To Settle Hiring Discrimination Case Involving Females

Source: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

SEATTLE—The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced it has resolved its gender-based hiring class lawsuit against a tire corporation for $2,000,000 and other corrective measures.

The EEOC's  suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of  Washington (Seattle) claimed the company failed to hire qualified women  for Sales & Service (tire changing) jobs at its stores in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, and Utah starting in 2004.

"While the parties have engaged in extensive litigation the past four years, we are pleased to work with (the company) to bring this case to a resolution and to start a new era of cooperation," EEOC Regional Attorney William Tamayo said. "This resolution allows (the company) and the women who the EEOC represents to move forward."

Mike Baldonado, EEOC San Francisco District  Director, whose responsibility includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana, stated, "The EEOC will continue to investigate employers and industries that have  put women in certain types of jobs, and men in others. We hope (the company) becomes a model employer of women in the male-dominated tire industry."

In addition to the monetary amount, the company agrees to maintain its anti-discrimination policies and procedures and anti-discrimination training for all its managers, assistant managers and employees about Title VII and sex-based discrimination. The company will also provide periodic reports to the EEOC on its compliance with the terms of the consent decree.

According to the company’s web site, there are over 400 of its tire centers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, Utah, and Nevada. The company is based in Bend, Oregon.

The EEOC enforces the nation's laws in the private and federal sectors prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, age and disability. San Francisco District's jurisdiction includes Northern California, Northern Nevada, Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.

For more information on employment discrimination laws or training, or to protect your company from potential liability, please contact Berkshire Associates at 800.882.8904 or email bai@berkshireassociates.com.