Colorado’s Mesa Systems to pay $450,000 to settle EEOC allegations
By Howard Pankratz
The Denver Post
Posted: 09/30/2013 01:27:37 PM MDT | Updated: a day ago
Grand Junction-based Mesa Systems Inc., a moving-and-storage company, has agreed to pay $450,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that alleged that the company discriminated against Latino workers at a Salt Lake City warehouse.
The federal agency, which announced the settlement Monday, said the immigrant employees were subjected to a hostile work environment that included racist name-calling and slurs by warehouse managers.
The EEOC also alleged that employees of various national origins were subjected to a restrictive language policy that had a disparate impact on Latinos, Asians and Pacific Islanders.
The agency also claimed that a number of employees suffered retaliation, including terminations and reductions in hours, after two employee petitions and other complaints were submitted about national-origin discrimination.
Mesa denied it violated the law.
The EEOC said this is the largest national-origin employment-discrimination settlement ever achieved by the EEOC in Utah. In addition, Mesa Systems has agreed to extensive injunctive relief, including training, revision of policies, apologies to the victims of discrimination, and posting of anti-discrimination notices.
Mary Jo O’Neill, regional attorney in Phoenix, said the EEOC was “gratified that Mesa Systems resolved this case early in the litigation process.”
“We appreciate that they have agreed to policy changes, training and injunctive relief in order to ensure that their workplace is a more positive work environment,” said O’Neill.