Hispanic farmworkers compensated for discrimination
In one of the largest discrimination settlements in the USÂ’ agriculture industry, the Rivera Vineyards in California\'s Coachella Valley has agreed to pay a group of 37 mostly female Latino farmworkers $1m.
The 2003 lawsuit was brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of the women, reports The Washington Post. The workers, mostly Hispanic women, were allegedly sexually harassed, including one who said she was raped. Women also complained they were denied certain job opportunities based on their gender. The complaints went as far back as 1989. In addition to the monetary settlement for the class, the company agreed to reinstate workers who were wrongfully terminated, hire an outside consultant to handle harassment complaints, implement anti-discrimination policies, provide training to managers and employees, and create hiring goals to move women into positions typically filled by men. Full report in The Washington Post