A federal judge has certified as a class action a lawsuit accusing Wal-Mart
of a pattern of discrimination against women in its pay and promotion practices,
the New York Times reports.
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Get Your Report Now!The class in Dukes et al. v. Wal-Mart, Inc. could include as many as
1.6 million women who have worked at the company since 1998, which would create
a lawsuit that would dwarf previous employment-discrimination lawsuits, according
to the newspaper.
Wal-Mart says it intends to appeal the ruling by Judge Martin Jenkins of the
United States District Court in Northern California.
"Let's keep in mind that today's ruling has absolutely nothing to do with
the merits of the case," says Mona Williams, vice president for communications
at the retail giant. "Judge Jenkins is simply saying he thinks it meets
the legal requirements necessary to move forward as a class action. We strongly
disagree with his decision and will seek an appeal."
The plaintiffs in the case allege that the company paid women less than men
and prevented women from getting promotions.
The plaintiffs hired Richard Drogin, an emeritus statistics professor at California
State University at Hayward, to study the company's pay practices. Drogin's
study found that women working in hourly positions at least 45 weeks per year
were paid 6.2 percent less per year than men in similar jobs, the newspaper
reports.
The lawsuit contends that while women make up 65 percent of the workforce,
just 33 percent of management positions are held by women.
The company denies the allegations and has said its own studies have had different
results.
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