A federal contractor that manufactures portable meals for the U.S. Department of Defense and other government agencies discriminated systematically against qualified men seeking entry-level production jobs, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs alleges in a lawsuit filed today.
An OFCCP investigation of AmeriQual Group, LLC found the Evansville-based company segregated its production line workforce. The company based work assignments on gender stereotypes: putting women in “light duty” jobs and having men do more labor intensive work, according to the suit. “Through interviews with company officials and employees, OFCCP investigators learned women were selected for table inspector jobs, where a majority of the hiring occurred, while men were relegated generally to loader and utility positions, where less hiring took place,” said a release from the Department of Labor..
In its suit, the department seeks back wages and job offers for 27 men who applied for jobs at AmeriQual Group. The company produces, packages, assembles and distributes shelf-stable food products to the U.S. Department of Defense, other federal agencies and major food companies. Its products include “Meals Ready to Eat,” commonly known as MREs, used by the armed services. Since January 2010, the company has held federal government contracts worth more than $700 million.
“Qualifications for a job are tied to skills and experience, not gender. Stereotypical notions of what jobs are appropriate for women are outdated, and perpetuate discrimination,” said OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu. “We expect that employers funded by taxpayer dollars to provide meals to our Armed Forces will exemplify the same spirit of equal employment opportunity and diversity that exists in our military.”
OFCCP found the company’s discriminatory practices violated Executive Order 11246 and affected 237 male applicants. Although there was a significantly larger male applicant pool, AmeriQual disproportionately selected women over men.
Perez v. AmeriQual Foods
Case No: cv-15-2016OFC00002
