Compliance Safety Training

EEOC Settles Suit Involving Hangman’s Nooses, KKK Graffiti and Slurs at Construction Site

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced a major settlement of a racial harassment lawsuit for $1,650,000 and significant remedial relief against Conectiv, A.C. Dellovade, Inc., Steel Suppliers Erectors, Inc. and Matrix Services Industrial Contractors (doing business as Bogan, Inc. /Hake Group) on behalf of African American employees who were subjected to egregious racial harassment at a construction site in Bethlehem, Pa.

Conectiv was the general contractor and property owner on a project to build a new energy power plant on the site of a defunct steel plant. Construction on the project began in January 2002 and the plant was operating by the end of October 2003. The EEOC charged in the lawsuit that the defendants, acting as joint employers, subjected a class of African American employees to racial slurs and graffiti as well as threats by hangman’s nooses.

The EEOC said that harassment included a life size noose made of heavy rope hung from a beam in a class member’s work area for at least 10 days before it was re Read more…

EEOC Said Cajun Eateries Refused to Hire or Promote Males to Bartender Jobs

DALLAS — Razzoo’s, a Dallas/Fort Worth-based Cajun food restaurant chain, will pay $1 million and furnish significant remedial relief to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today. The EEOC had charged Razzoo’s with discriminating against a class of male applicants and employees.

The EEOC said that Razzoo’s refused to hire or promote men to the position of bartender in its restaurants. Razzoo’s management set up and communicated to managers by e-mail a plan for an 80-20 ratio of women to men behind the bar, the EEOC said. Male applicants and servers were expected to testify at trial — which will now be unnecessary because Read more…

EEOC Said 18 Women, Including Teens, Were Abused

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A Rochester-based distributor of highway and industrial safety products will pay $375,000 and furnish injunctive relief to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.

In its lawsuit, the EEOC said that owner, president, vice president and members of the sales staff of American Industrial Sales Corp., doing business as RAK Industries, sexually harassed 18 female employees, including four teenagers. The harassment included inappropriate touching, sexual advances and vulgar sexual comments, the EEOC said. Sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Read more…

HONOLULU – The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today announced the settlement of a federal lawsuit against NCL America, Inc. for $485,000 to seven former employees and remedial relief.

In its lawsuit, filed in 2006 under Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the EEOC alleged that NCL America discharged seven Middle Eastern crew members from various positions on the cruise ship “Pride of Aloha.” NCL America denied that it had acted improperly against these crew members in agreeing to resolve the lawsuit.

“We are very pleased with this outcome, and NCL America should be applauded for its commitment to prevent discrimination by agreeing to the comprehensive injunctive relief in this case,” said Anna Y. Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Read more…

Corrections Department Provided Lesser Benefits to Female Corrections Officers Who Gave Birth While on Workers’ Compensation Leave

NEW YORK – The New York State Department of Correctional Services will pay nearly $1 million to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, the two offices announced today. The EEOC and the United States had charged the Corrections Department with violating federal law by providing inferior benefits to female employees on maternity leave.

The EEOC suit, filed under the Equal Pay Act of 1963 (Case No. 07-CV-2587 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York), charged that the Corrections Department gave male employees with work-related injuries up to six months of paid workers’ compensation leave Read more…

Federal EEO Poster Expected to Change

May 23, 2008 — President George W. Bush signed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act into law Wednesday, May 21st. Both houses of Congress had previously passed the legislation (H.R. 493) almost unanimously—the Senate by 95-0 on April 24th followed by the House a week later (on May 1st) with a vote of 414-1.

Now that the President has signed the bill into law, it is anticipated that the U.S. Employment Standards Administration will issue a new version of the required federal Equal Employment Opportunity poster, including genetic information as a new protect Read more…

OSHA cites United Airlines at O’Hare International Airport for numerous workplace safety violations
Federal action proposes $215,500 in penalties
CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed $215,500 in fines against United Airlines Inc. in Chicago for alleged multiple serious and repeat violations of federal workplace safety standards.

OSHA selected United Airlines for inspection after reviewing occupational injury and illness data, which included ramp services, customer service areas, air freight, aircraft and ground equipment maintenance, building/facility maintenance, business operations, strategic procurement, medical facilities and flight attendant operations. As a result of its inspection, OSHA issued 43 serious violations and four repeat violations.

The serious violations address hazards associated with fall protection, hazardous energy control procedures and training, storage of oxygen and fuel-gas cylinders, platform load ratings and electrical hazards. The four repeat violations, based on citations issued and affirmed Read more…