Express Western Region Lawsuit $55 Million Settlement Approved - August 16, 2007
Bloomberg (is every other news service in the world asleep?) covers the Judge's approval of the settlement in the Satchell case.
In an order signed yesterday and posted on the court's Web site today, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco approved the settlement covering 20,000 checker-sorters, customer service agents, freight handlers and other workers. Derrick Satchell and eight other employees sued the unit in 2003, claiming they were denied promotions and raises equal to those given white colleagues.
FedEx dropped its requirement for candidates for courier jobs to pass a map-reading, listening, reading and sorting skills test after the suit was filed, said spokeswoman Sally Davenport. Under the agreement, FedEx will change its promotion practices and will be monitored by a court-appointed special master.
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The company denied all allegations of discrimination.
Under the proposed settlement, named class representatives will receive as much as $30,000 each and 18 other people will get $5,000 each for the time they spent giving affidavits and depositions to lawyers on both sides.
Although the money may be just a drop in the ocean, the court "special master" now inserted in FedEx management shows that this case will have a long-standing impact on how FedEx operates.