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U.S. Department of Labor | December 9, 2015
US
Labor Department alleges hiring discrimination by Indiana federal
contractor that manufactures portable military meals
Complaint seeks back wages, 27 job
offers for male victims
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – A
federal contractor that manufactures portable meals for the U.S. Department of
Defense and other government agencies discriminated systematically against
qualified men seeking entry-level production jobs, the U.S. Department of Labor’s
Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs alleges in a lawsuit filed today.
An OFCCP investigation of AmeriQual Group, LLC found the
Evansville-based company segregated its production line workforce. The company
based work assignments on gender stereotypes: putting women in “light duty”
jobs and having men do more labor intensive work. Through interviews with
company officials and employees, OFCCP investigators learned women were
selected for table inspector jobs, where a majority of the hiring occurred,
while men were relegated generally to loader and utility positions, where less
hiring took place.
In its suit, the department
seeks back wages and job offers for 27 men who applied for jobs at AmeriQual
Group. The company produces, packages, assembles and distributes shelf-stable
food products to the U.S. Department of Defense, other federal agencies and
major food companies. Its products include “Meals Ready to Eat,” commonly known
as MREs, used by the armed services. Since January 2010, the company has held
federal government contracts worth more
than $700 million.
“Qualifications for a job are tied
to skills and experience, not gender. Stereotypical notions of what jobs are
appropriate for women are outdated, and perpetuate discrimination,” said OFCCP
Director Patricia A. Shiu. “We expect that employers funded by taxpayer
dollars to provide meals to our Armed Forces will exemplify the same spirit of
equal employment opportunity and diversity that exists in our military.”
OFCCP found the company’s discriminatory practices violated
Executive Order 11246 and affected 237 male applicants. Although there was a significantly
larger male applicant pool, AmeriQual disproportionately selected women over
men.
The investigation also found that AmeriQual attempted to
create after-the-fact justifications for failing to hire male applicants by
making notations on “sticky notes” and other documents and then adding them to
files. Those notations did not appear on the original documents that the company
provided at the beginning of the investigation. AmeriQual also failed to provide
specific hiring records during the course of the investigation.
In addition to Executive Order 11246, OFCCP enforces Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 and
the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974. As amended, these three laws make it
illegal for contractors and subcontractors doing business with the federal
government to discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion,
sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or status
as a protected veteran. For more information, please call OFCCP's toll-free
helpline at 800-397-6251 or visit http://www.dol.gov/ofccp/.
Perez v. AmeriQual Foods
Case No: cv-15-2016OFC00002
X X X
Media Contacts:
Scott Allen, 312-465-6699, allen.scott@dol.gov
Rhonda Burke, 312-353-6976, burke.rhonda@dol.gov
Release Number: 15-2233-CHI
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