The
U.S. Department of Labor has filed an administrative complaint against
Tyson Fresh Meats, the world's largest supplier of premium beef and
pork and a wholly owned subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc. The complaint
alleges that Tyson systematically rejected female job applicants at its
plant in Joslin, Ill.
"The Labor Department is firmly
committed to ensuring that federal contractors give all individuals a
fair and equal chance at employment," said Patricia A. Shiu, director
of the department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
"Taxpayer dollars must never be used to discriminate. In our efforts to
uncover workplace discrimination, OFCCP will utilize a host of
remedies, including debarment, to protect workers, promote diversity
and enforce the law."
OFCCP's investigation revealed that
Tyson utilized a hiring process and selection procedures that
discriminated against women seeking entry-level positions. Executive
Order 11246, under which this lawsuit was brought, prohibits federal
contractors such as Tyson from discriminating on the basis of gender
when making their hiring decisions and empowers OFCCP to monitor their
compliance with the law.
The complaint requests that all of
Tyson's federal contracts be canceled; it be debarred from future
government contracts until it has remedied the violations; and it
provide complete relief, including lost wages, interest and other
benefits of employment, to affected individuals. OFCCP believes that
more than 750 women are owed back wages and more than 100 women should
be given the option of working for the company.
This filing
follows recent litigation by OFCCP involving another Tyson Foods Inc.
subsidiary, TNT Crust, located in Green Bay, Wis. A Department of Labor
administrative law judge found that TNT Crust systematically
discriminated against Latino applicants in its entry-level position
hiring.
In addition to Executive Order 11246, OFCCP's legal
authority exists under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam
Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974. As amended, these
three laws hold those who do business with the federal government, both
contractors and subcontractors, to the very reasonable standard that
they not discriminate in their employment practices on the basis of
gender, race, color, religion, national origin, disability or status as
a protected veteran. For more information, call OFCCP's toll-free
helpline at 800-397-6251. Additional information is available at http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/.