quote:
Smurfit-Stone accused of racial harassment
12:55 p.m. 09/15/2004 Provided By United Press International
CHICAGO, Sep 15, 2004 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Smurfit-Stone, the leading U.S. paper-based packing manufacturer, is accused of racial harassment by the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
EEOC filed a lawsuit accusing Chicago-based Smurfit-Stone Container Corp. of fostering a hostile and abusive working environment for African-American employees at its facility in Hanover Park, Ill.
Minority workers charged a supervisor at the plant used racially derogatory and disparaging language like "boy, monkey, moron and dummy" to harass African-American employees despite years of verbal and written complaints.
The EEOC filed suit Tuesday on behalf of four Smurfit-Stone employees seeking compensatory damages and injunctive relief. "Efforts by the EEOC to resolve the case with Smurfit-Stone through the agency's voluntary conciliation process and without litigation were exhausted prior to today," EEOC said.
Smurfit-Stone operates 176 plants with 38,000 employees producing boxboard and containerboard and corrugated containers and had 2003 sales of $7.7 billion.
Copyright 2004 by United Press International.
