Posted on 03/20/2002 12:57:36 PM PST by Tumbleweed_Connection
Fourteen autoworkers at General Motors' Pontiac truck assembly plant and the Pontiac engineering and development center are suing the automaker for $7.4 billion, accusing GM of civil rights violations.
In a suit filed in circuit court, the 14 allege GM discriminates in hiring and ignores racial intimidation in the workplace, including nooses hung at workstations and workers dressed in Ku Klux Klan-type garb. The alleged incidents occurred in 2000 and 2001.
The 14 workers are black, Mexican-American or Native American. A 15th plaintiff, a black man, alleges he was denied a job because of his race.
Suburban Detroit attorney Wallace Parker told Wednesday's Detroit Free Press he recognizes the damages sought are "astonishing."
"We figure the plant generates about $7.4 billion a year in revenue. We have enough data, evidence, witnesses and what-not to justify this," he said.
GM said it is disappointed in the suit, although it acknowledges problems exist at the truck plant, which builds the Chevy Sliverado pickup truck and other top-selling vehicles.
"GM does not condone such activities, which aren't indicative of the work environment at Pontiac or elsewhere at GM," spokesman Tom Wickham said, adding that the company believes a number of the alleged incidents cited in the suit never occurred.
Parker said since he filed the suit last week, he has been contacted by 30 or 40 other people seeking to join the action, including a number of black men who said they were denied jobs because they had shaved their heads and were unable to provide hair samples for drug testing.
Owl_Eagle
”Guns Before Butter.”
Which is WHY the lawsuit is being filed in the Detroit area. If it goes to trial, guess what group makes up the majority of the jury pool...
Jesse's coming down, now I'm waiting for buffalo-butt Al Sharpton to take a giant tumble. Although it would be hilarious to see him take a stab at the White House in '04, that would keep me in laughs for months.
Sounds real convincing, especially the "what-not".
Like to see that happen just once, then again and again until this stuff stops.
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