KODAK SETTLES RACE DISCRIMINATION SUIT
In an attempt to end both a 2004 class-action lawsuit and another similar suit filed in 2007, Kodak Co. has finally agreed to pay a $21.4 million settlement to the African-American employees who felt they were unfairly discriminated against because of their race. Plaintiffs involved in this case claimed that they were passed up for promotion opportunities, were not paid the same as their white counterparts, and were subjected to a hostile work environment filled with racist comments.
While the company still refuses to admit their wrongdoing, this agreement will amount to paying a sum of money to 3,021 of their past and current employees. In addition to the money, Kodak will also be held accountable for its ability to promote diversity among supervisors and hire a labor statistician to review the pay and promotion policies. When asked to comment on the recent compromise, Christopher Veronda, Kodak spokesman, said that “[all sides] believe that this settlement represents a resolution of mutual interest.”
Although the settlement was recently granted preliminary approval by a federal judge, a final approval hearing is scheduled in Federal Court in September.
