News Flash: EEOC Focuses On Immigrant Workers’ Rights

The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced that two Maryland food processing plants will pay a total of $1 million to settle a sexual harassment suit on behalf of 22 female workers, all Central American immigrants. Male managers and co-workers allegedly groped the women and demanded sexual favors, and one woman was locked in a freezer after she turned down a sexual request. An EEOC official says the agency will be vigilant about protecting the rights of low-wage immigrants: “This group of workers, who represent an increasing percentage of the labor market, are often unaware of their legal rights.” Grace Culinary Systems, a subsidiary of W.R. Grace & Co., will pay $850,000; Townsend Culinary Inc. and its parent company, Townsends Inc., will contribute $150,000.