Kodak to pay $21M to settle bias suits by African-American workers

[Blue_Tires]

Eastman Kodak Co. has agreed to pay $21.4 million to settle a pair of race discrimination lawsuits filed by current and former African-American workers.

The settlement, which still needs final approval by a judge, would end two class-action lawsuits pending against the company in federal court in Rochester — one filed in 2004 by a group calling itself Employees Committed for Justice and one in 2007 by a separate group of Kodak workers.

In the lawsuits, Kodak was accused of discriminatory practices in pay and promotions.

In the settlement, Kodak admits no wrongdoing.

Under the terms of the tentative agreement, Kodak would pay $75,000 each to a core group of 12 plaintiffs, while 15 others would receive $5,000 each.

A larger pool of African Americans who worked for Kodak between 1999 and 2006 — potentially more than 3,000 people, according to court papers -- would receive monetary awards ranging from $500 to upwards of $3,000.

A hearing is scheduled for Sept. 15 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman for final approval of the proposed settlement.

http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20090714/BUSINESS/90714028/1001/Kodak+to+pay++21M+to+settle+bias+suits+by+African-American+workers

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Wow.

How many more of these suits are out there? This is one of those under the fold, down at the bottom, lost on the next to the last page in the corner along the seam articles. :banghead:

Thanks for the heads-up!

[Number23]

2. Exactly. They don't even tell you what the extent of the bias was!

And $21 million is chump change to a company that's been around as long as Kodak has. I'd love to see what the charges were.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. There is a website for it that I found

http://www.kodakdiscrimination.com/default.asp

The actual complaint is here: http://www.kodakdiscrimination.com/pdfs/040802kodaksuit.pdf

The charges seem pretty standard - disparate pay and promotion opportunity, hostile work environment, retaliation, etc.

[noiretextatique]

4. in this post-racial society

this is obvious just another coindence
:sarcasm: