Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

Union Pacific Corp. illegally retaliated against a worker who lodged a discrimination complaint against the company, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a lawsuit. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Oakland, says Omaha-based Union Pacific disqualified the employee after she won a favorable EEOC ruling in 2002 on claims of gender, age and disability discrimination. Robert Turner, a spokesman for Union Pacific, couldn't be reached for immediate comment.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency charged with protecting workers from discrimination. Olophius E. Perry, director of the EEOC's Los Angeles District Office, which covers Southern California and Nevada, explains that the agency's mission has expanded over time. Question: What is the role of the EEOC?

A former Boeing Co. unit was sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission over allegations that the unit, Boeing Electron Dynamic Devices Inc., refused to hire a black woman because of her race. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, also names as a defendant an L-3 Communications Holdings Inc. unit that bought the Boeing division in February, the commission said.

Lockheed Martin Corp. allowed a "racially charged atmosphere" to grow at one of its factories for years, culminating in a deadly shooting spree by a white worker last year, a federal agency said Monday. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that the company was aware of the hostile work environment in Meridian, Miss., but failed to stop it.

Retirees who qualify for Medicare would see their health benefits cut or eliminated under a proposal approved Thursday by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The commission approved the proposed rule in a 3-1 vote, with three Republicans in favor and one Democrat opposing it. Under the rule, employers can coordinate health benefits for retirees who are eligible for Medicare or a similar state-sponsored health benefit.

Bechtel Corp., which stands to reap as much as $680 million in contracts to rebuild Iraq, is being sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which claims the company discriminated against and fired an Iraqi employee in New Jersey. The suit, filed on behalf of Sahir Kizy of Royal Oak, Mich., on Tuesday in federal court in Newark, alleged the company did nothing to stop discrimination and harassment against him after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and fired him in June 2002.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued a San Joaquin County fruit-packing company and two contractors for allegedly discriminating against 13 workers after a manager allegedly called them "stupid" and "lazy Mexicans." The lawsuit, filed this week in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, says Prima Frutta packing manager Tim Sambado disparaged the 11 women and two men during the 1999-2001 cherry-packing seasons at the Linden plant.

A federal appeals court has reinstated a sexual harassment lawsuit by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against a Pasadena law firm, reversing a lower court judge who had accused the government agency of "unreasonable and just plain mean-spirited" conduct. In a 2-1 ruling disclosed Wednesday, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals also set aside the judge's order that required the EEOC to pay more than $363,000 in legal costs incurred by the law firm, Reeves and Associates.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against lingerie retailer Victoria's Secret saying that a shop in Langhorne, Pa., didn't honor a promise to give a Baptist saleswoman most Sundays off so she could attend church services. The EEOC suit also accused store managers and employees of subjecting the woman, who is black, to racist comments. A spokesman for Limited Brands Inc., the Columbus, Ohio-based parent of Victoria's Secret, declined to comment.