AEROSPACE COMPANY TO PAY $1.25 MILLION FOR HARASSMENT OF HISPANIC EMPLOYEES

                 

EEOC Suit Charged Hamilton Sundstrand National Origin Discrimination

DENVER - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has settled a class-wide discrimination lawsuit against aerospace and industrial product manufacturer Hamilton Sundstrand charging that a class of Hispanic employees at the company's Grand Junction, Colorado, facility was harassed and subjected to a hostile work environment based on their national origin.

   

The consent decree, a voluntary agreement between EEOC and Hamilton Sundstrand, provides for $1.25 million to resolve the lawsuit on behalf of 12 class members who were harmed by the alleged unlawful conduct.  In addition to the monetary relief, the consent decree requires Hamilton Sundstrand to:

       
• Provide training on the requirements of federal anti-discrimination laws, with appropriate           levels of information presented to non-supervisory employees, managers, and human           resource employees.
       
• Appoint an EEO Coordinator to ensure compliance with the consent decree and oversee           the company's investigation of employee complaints of discrimination, including           retaliation complaints made by employees after reporting possible violations of anti-           discrimination laws.
     
• Review and revise policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal anti-           discrimination laws, as well establishing and maintaining an effective complaint           procedure for all employees. 

   

"This settlement represents a major step forward in the EEOC establishing a strong presence on the Western Slope," said Joseph H. Mitchell, Regional Attorney in the EEOC's Denver District Office.  "Employees and employers alike need to be aware that discrimination laws are vigorously enforced throughout our jurisdiction and across the country - not just in Denver." 

                                   

According to its web site, www.hamiltonsundstrand.com, the Windsor Locks, Conn.- based company, a United Technologies Corporation subsidiary, "is among the largest global suppliers of technologically advanced aerospace and industrial products" and is "a major supplier for international space programs."  The company, which averages $3.9 billion in annual sales and employs approximately 16,000 worldwide, designs and manufactures aerospace systems for commercial, regional, corporate and military aircraft.

   

The EEOC is the federal agency responsible for enforcing the federal statutes which prohibit employment discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, national origin, or religion; the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits job discrimination based on the existence or perception of a disability; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, which prohibits discrimination against persons age 40 and over; and the Equal Pay Act (EPA), which prohibits wage discrimination based on sex.  The EEOC's Denver District Office, located at 303 East 17th Avenue, Suite 510, in Denver, enforces the anti-discrimination laws in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming.  Further information about the Commission is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.