Federal Contractor Reaches Settlement with DOL in Discrimination Case
Investigators found evidence that 14 minority job applicants were denied the opportunity to fairly compete for open positions.
The Department of Labor and Bertucci Contracting Co. LLC have reached a settlement regarding the company's alleged discrimination in hiring practices. Investigators found that Bertucci, a federal construction contractor, was discriminating against minority job applicants at its Jefferson, La. facility.
"The people of the Gulf Coast have shown tremendous resilience in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the BP oil spill and the Great Recession," said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu, in a statement on the DOL website. "Our job -- and the job of taxpayer-funded construction contractors like Bertucci -- is to make sure the doors of opportunity are open for all workers who want to be a part of rebuilding and fortifying their communities. This agreement underscores that commitment by facilitating success for the workers, the company, and the government agency involved."
Fourteen minority job applicants were not given the opportunity to compete for positions as deckhands and laborers from 2009 to 2011.
As part of the settlement, Bertucci will now pay $70,000 in back wages and interest and will offer at least six of the 14 applicants employment opportunities, as positions become available. These positions will come with retroactive seniority. The company is also responsible for future, improved training for those in management positions.
Bertucci provides a variety of flood control and coastal restoration services, including environmental dredging and disposal, stone placement in vulnerable waterways, and levee construction and armament, according to the Department of Labor. During the two-year period reviewed by OFCCP investigators, Bertucci held more than $80 million in government contracts with the U.S. Army.