Tire Company to Settle Hiring Discrimination Case
"The EEOC will continue to investigate employers and industries that have put women in certain types of jobs and men in others. We hope Les Schwab becomes a model employer of women in the male-dominated tire industry," said Mike Baldonado, EEOC San Francisco district director.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced it has resolved its gender-based hiring class lawsuit against Les Schwab Tire Centers of Washington and Les Schwab Tire Warehouse Inc. for $2 million and other corrective measures. EEOC's suit in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (Seattle) claimed Les Schwab had failed to hire qualified women for sales and 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 Les Schwab to bring this case to a resolution and to start a new era of cooperation," EEOC Regional Attorney William Tamayo said. "This resolution allows Les Schwab 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, said EEOC "will continue to investigate employers and industries that have put women in certain types of jobs, and men in others. We hope Les Schwab becomes a model employer of women in the male-dominated tire industry."
In addition to the monetary amount, Les Schwab has agreed 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 also will provide periodic reports to EEOC on its compliance with the terms of the consent decree.