Compliance May 21, 2003

Jury: UPS Dismissals Are Not Discriminatory

May 21, 2003 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A federal jury has ruled the dismissal of seven Hispanic and black United Parcel Service (UPS) workers was not racially motivated.
Reported by

>The lawsuit, lodged in November 2001 by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), accused the company of violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Civil Rights Act of 1991.   However, after less than an hour of deliberation, the Texas jury determined the terminations were for a myriad of disciplinary reasons – but not an act of discrimination, according to an Associated Press report.

>The EEOC, which was seeking $248,000 in back pay and $30 million to $300 million in punitive damages, alleged the former employees were forced to resign because of harassment that included being issued conflicting work orders to encourage anger and insubordination, unnecessary scrutiny, and reprimands without reason.   White employees were not disciplined for the same reasons, EEOC attorney Suzanne Anderson argued.

UPS spokesman Malcolm Berkley told the San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times the plaintiffs’ complaints could have been resolved without litigation had they presented their complaints to either the company or to the Teamsters Union.

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