Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/698304
July 2016 | Overdrive | 17 Untitled-36 1 6/15/16 10:01 AM Prime Inc. to settle suit for $3 million Prime Inc. agreed to pay more than $3 million to settle a discrimination-based lawsuit brought by the Equal Employ- ment Opportunity Commission on behalf of more than 60 fe- male truck drivers who claimed they were denied jobs at the company. EEOC charged that a Prime policy stating that female driv- ers be trained only by female trainers effectively denied women driving jobs at the Springfield, Mo.-based compa- ny because of the scarcity of female trainers. EEOC said Prime previously had agreed to pay $250,000 to resolve a discrimination claim brought by one of the female truckers. The carrier then agreed to pay $2.8 million in lost wages and damages for 63 other women who said they were denied jobs. Prime has said in the wake of the settlement that it still be- lieves its same-sex trainer policy did not violate federal anti-dis- crimination laws. The compa- ny says the policy, while well received by industry experts on the subject, ended three years ago following some concerns, but that EEOC continued to pursue its case. Prime says its policy was meant to mitigate training risks unique to the trucking industry. The company instituted the same-sex trainer policy in 2004 following a separate EEOC- brought lawsuit claiming the carrier had violated Title VII provisions. – James Jaillet