Suit alleges company denied promotions to African-American employees
By:Vanessa S. Holt
FLORENCE A suit alleging that Griffin Pipe Products Co. has denied promotions to African-American employees was filed Sept. 27 in federal district court in Camden by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission (EEOC).
According to the EEOC, African-American employees who held seniority in their departments at the company were bypassed for promotions in favor of white employees with lesser qualifications.
The EEOC alleges that the company violated Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act by denying promotion to African-American employees.
Title VII states that it is illegal to deny a person an employment opportunity due to race, color, sex, religion or national origin.
The suit names Frank Loftin, an African-American employee who has been with the company for more than 20 years, and "at least 13" other African-American employees as victims of discrimination.
One employee, not mentioned by name in the suit, had allegedly not been considered for promotion in his 33 years with the company.
Griffin Pipe representatives could not be reached for comment this week.
The suit seeks punitive damages and an injunction against discriminatory practices. The suit also asks the company to institute policies that will provide for equal employment opportunities and provide appropriate back pay.
Among the practices the EEOC singled out as discriminatory was a reported failure to post job openings when vacancies opened in supervisory and management positions.
The commission said only one of 10 vacancies at supervisory or management levels was filled by a black employee between June 1998 and June 2000.
The EEOC seeks compensation for affected African-American employees through a provision in the Civil Rights Act of 1991, which states that a victim of intentional discrimination may receive up to $300,000 in damages in a company with more than 500 employees.
"Senior, well-qualified black employees are made invisible when it comes time to fill higher-level jobs," said EEOC Regional Attorney Jacqueline McNair. "This is not equal employment opportunity."
The suit was filed after the EEOC Philadelphia office investigated charges made by Mr. Loftin, who had sought a promotion for more than 10 years. According to a release from the commission, attempts to conciliate the matter before a suit was filed were "unsuccessful."
"One person can make a difference and we at the EEOC are prepared to offer counsel to any person who believes he or she is experiencing illegal job discrimination," said EEOC Philadelphia District Office Director Marie Tomasso.
Griffin Pipe Products Co., a division of Amsted Industries Inc. of Chicago, manufactures ductile iron pressure pipe and fittings for potable water transmission and distribution, and ductile iron sewer pipe for waste water collection networks.
Located off West Front Street, the Griffin Pipe company was America’s first manufacturing plant for iron pipes and has been in operation for almost 200 years.