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News :: Miscellaneous |
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4800 Seek Damages for Sex Discrimination from Rent-a-Center |
Current rating: 0 |
by Danielle Chynoweth
(No verified email address)
Phone: 217-344-8820
Address: UC-IMC |
14 Jan 2002
Modified: 01 Feb 2002 |
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Last month, over 4800 women were cleared to pursue sex-discrimination claims against Rent-a-Center, the largest rent-to-own retailer in the country. Yet, few of the women are aware of this ruling, because Rent-a-Center recently blocked its notice from going out. |
[Radio Script for Free Speech Radio News]
A federal judge in Illinois may decide as early as today whether a major class action lawsuit is able to move forward.
Last month, over 4800 women were cleared to pursue sex-discrimination claims against Rent-a-Center, the largest rent-to-own retailer in the country. Yet, few of the women are aware of this ruling, because Rent-a-Center recently blocked its notice from going out.
Rent-a-Center has a history of discrimination. The Illinois case joins two other pending sex discrimination cases against Rent-a-Center. In 2000 in California, Rent-a-Center paid 2 million to employees who were asked questions about religion and their sex lives. In that same year in Kansas, the company paid nearly 7 million to African American employees who accused the company of racially discriminatory employment practices.
Government officials say the Rent-a-Center case is one of the most blatant and widespread instances of discrimination that they have seen in decades. Rent-a-Center is accused of sex discrimination in firing, hiring, job assignment, and promotion; it is also accused of sexual harrassment and the destruction of employment records. Since 1998 the percent of women in their workforce has dropped from 22 percent to 2 percent, according to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission investigations.
"I was told on more than one occasion that I would have to choose between my job and my child. And I'm a single mom. And there was no choice for me at that point."
Karen Dueker (DOO-KER) was working as a store manager for a Rent a Center when she started to experience discrimination.
"I was told I would have to work 8 to 8 and they wouldn't work with me. I was told I couldn't go on my lunch hour to like take my kid home and come back. There weren't willing to work with me as a single mom. I felt like I was being pushed out so I just started looking for another job and then I left."
Claudine Wilfong, a lead plaintiff in the case, had worked her way to the position of store manger over a period of 14 years. In 1998 the company changed hands, after which she started being harrassed by her market manager.
I always ran a good store and had good numbers and never needed much follow up. But it was just constant daily harrasssment from him. And then I would check from other male store managers and they just weren't getting it, they weren't receiving the same treatment.
According to a federal judge, witnesses independently testified that store managers and company executives expressed Rent-a-Center's anti-female policy with statements such as "get rid of women any way you can" "in case you didn't notice, we do not employ women" and "the day I hire a women will be a cold day in hell."
Officials at Rent-a-Center referred questions to a Los Angeles Crisis Public Relations Firm, Sitrick and Company. Jeffery Lloyd Sitrick declined to answer any questions about the claims against Rent a Center. Reading a statement from the company he said:
"RAC vigorously denies the allegations that were quoted by the judge ... RAC has not discriminated and will not discriminate in any manner in the recruiting, hiring, training, and promotiong of employees."
Currently the class action suit to which Wilfong, Dueker, and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are party is in jeapordy of being extinguished by another suit. A Kansas City judge sent another another sex discrimination case to arbitration where the women and the company agreed on a 12.5 million dollar settlement. The company is offering 500-7000 dollars to each of the 4800 women named in the class action suit.
This settlement would override the larger class action suit. Mary Ann Sedey is the attorney for the suit in jeaprody:
"To settle a case like this where the conduct has been so egregious for a tiny fraction of the damages these women are entitled to is really appauling. The plaintiff's lawyers in kansas City should be ashamed of themselves for participating in this fraud."
Sedey and Wilfong also object to the settlement because it does not require court monitoring of Rent-a-Center to ensure equality in the workplace nor does it force Rent-a-Center to reinstate those women fired because of their sex.
Ms. Wilfong explains:
"A lot of women would like their jobs back, and to be treated the way they were treated before, which as fair, no exceptions, just fair."
Claudine Wilfong spent four months out of work after being forced out of RAC. Although Karen Dueker found a job with a competitor, she now receives a fraction what her pay was at RAC.
The 4800 women could opt out of the twelve and a half million settlement and join the suit seeking four hundred and ten million, but they would need to be aware of the larger suit. Currently they are only aware of the smaller settlement. Last week, Rent a Center blocked a notice going out that would inform the 4800 women of the larger suit. The women have until January twenty-fifth to make their decision about whether to be included in the settlement. If they do not opt out, they will be bound by its terms. The Seventh circuit Court of Appeals in Illinois will decide this week whether the notice of the larger suit will go out.
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Hooray! |
by Michael Feltes
mfeltes (nospam) gmx.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
14 Jan 2002
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It sent a little chill down my spine to hear the tagline, "From the Urbana Independent Media Center, this is Danielle Chynoweth." Giving voice to the voiceless; it's what we're all about. Well done! |
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How Do Things Like This Happen? |
by Mark Gabrish Conlan (IMC-San Diego)
mgconlan (nospam) earthlink.net (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
14 Jan 2002
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I suppose I should be unshockable by now and unsurprised at just how scummy the forces of capitalism can be, but this story seemed outrageous even by typical capitalist standards.
It's not only the length of Rent-a-Center's discrimination and the blatancy of their executives' sexism that surprises me, but also the company's ability to "block" the wopmen in one lawsuit against them from being notified of another to which they would be eligible to join. Just how on earth could they get away with this? I'm really curious. Feel free to e-mail me if you have the answer.
And thanks to Sascha Meinrath for coming out to San Diego. We enjoyed meeting him and his input was very helpful for our IMC. |
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Good reporting! |
by gloria Chynweth
afn33975 (nospam) afn.org (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
01 Feb 2002
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Keep up the good work, Danielle! |
