Employment Law News

Judge Approves $5 Million Settlement Of Job Bias Lawsuits Against Woodward Governor

A federal judge has given final approval to a $5 million settlement resolving two consolidated class action employment discrimination lawsuits against a global engine systems and parts company, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today.

The litigation began on May 8, 2003, when a group of employees filed a class action lawsuit (Bell, et al v. Woodward Governor Company, N.D. Ill. No. 03 50190) against Colorado-based Woodward Governor, asserting that it engaged in illegal discrimination against African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians at its Rockford and Rockton, Ill., facilities with respect to pay, promotions and training, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C. § 1981. On October 4, 2006, the EEOC sued Woodward (EEOC v. Woodward Governor Company, N.D. Ill. No. 06 C 50178) affirming the same charges and adding a charge of discrimination against women, which also violates the Equal Pay Act (EPA). The two suits were consolidated by the court for litigation.

The consent decree settling the suits, approved by Judge Philip G. Reinhard of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division, established a $2.4 million settlement fund to be shared by minority employees who worked at Woodward Governor’s Rockford or Rockton plants at any time since May 1999, and a $2.6 million settlement fund to be shared by female employees who worked at Woodward Governor’s Rockford or Rockton plants at any time since June 2002. Read more at eeoc.gov.

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	Did You Know?
	About Wrongful Termination employment Wrongful termination is a term that generally refers to a person being fired illegally. Many terminations that people think of as "wrongful" aren't illegal. In most states, employment is "at will". This means that the employer can fire the employee for no reason or any reason. However, there are two main reasons why a termination may be illegal- discrimination and contracts.