Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. in Dallas has agreed to pay $1.5 million
in back wages and salary to resolve discrimination allegations

DALLAS — Dallas-based Vought Aircraft Industries Inc. has entered into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) to settle allegations of hiring discrimination based on race and gender and agreed to a settlement of $1.5 million.

"The Department of Labor is committed to ensuring that workers seeking employment with federal contractors and subcontractors are hired, promoted and compensated fairly, without regard to their race, gender, color, ethnicity, disability, religion or veteran status," said Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "This settlement of $1.5 million on behalf of 1,045 minority and female applicants should put all federal contractors on notice that such discrimination will not be tolerated."

OFCCP investigators found that Vought's hiring process disproportionately eliminated African American and Asian males, as well as all females, applying for the assembly trainee/aircraft assembly beginner jobs. OFCCP concluded that two steps in Vought's hiring process — an application screening and a test — were primarily responsible for the discrimination.

Under the terms of the consent decree, Vought will pay the 1,045 rejected applicants a total of $1,377,500 in back pay and interest. The company also will pay about $70,000 for applicants interested in participating in a four-week aircraft assembly training program, and from that program 35 applicants will be hired into assembly trainee/aircraft assembly beginner positions. Additionally, in lieu of retroactive seniority, the 35 new hires will be paid $1,500 each.

Vought, a manufacturer of aircraft parts and auxiliary equipment contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, has discontinued its use of the test and modified its screening procedures, and will undertake extensive self-monitoring measurements for two years to ensure that all hiring practices fully comply with federal law. Additionally, the company will ensure compliance with recordkeeping requirements.

OFCCP, an agency of the Department of Labor's Employment Standards Administration, enforces Executive Order 11246 and other laws that prohibit employment discrimination by federal contractors. The agency monitors contractors to ensure that they provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, disability or veteran status.

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