Source:  MEATINGPLACE.COM, 9/16/10

The U.S. Department of Labor has filed an administrative complaint that accuses Tyson Fresh Meats of systematically rejecting female job applicants at its Joslin, Ill., beef plant.

The complaint seeks to recover back wages for more than 750 rejected applicants and secure offers of employment for more than 100 women.

The department said in a statement an investigation by its Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs found Tyson used a hiring process and selection procedures that discriminated against women seeking entry-level positions. Tyson is a federal contractor.

In a response the claim Tyson said it believes the issue is about documentation, not discrimination.

“Contrary to the impression left by the government’s allegation, it is our policy to provide a work environment free from unlawful discrimination,” Ken Kimbro, Tyson senior vice president and chief human resources officer, said in a statement.

The complaint seeks the cancellation of all of Tyson's federal contracts and recommends the company be debarred from future government contracts until it has remedied the violations. It also seeks relief including lost wages, interest and other benefits of employment for affected individuals.

Tyson said the OFCCP’s charges were based on an audit of job application forms at the plant, not on complaints by job seekers. “We believe there were legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons certain applicants were not hired,” Kimbro said.

Since the audit in 2003 and 2004, Tyson has put procedures in place to ensure it retains documentation to support its selection decisions, the company said. It said it also routinely audit its practices to prevent disparities regarding female or minority job applicants.

Minorities represented 66 percent of the workforce at the Joslin plant and women represented 28 percent during the period covered by the OFCCP review, Tyson said.

Earlier this year, a jury ordered Tyson Foods to pay nearly $709,000 to a former manager at its Noel, Mo., poultry processing plant after finding the company discriminated against the woman based on her gender. 

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