CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has resolved two lawsuits against coal mining companies that allegedly conducted hiring practices that excluded women from working in mines.
To settle the allegations, the group of mining companies agreed to pay a collective $4.25 million to women applicants who were denied jobs because of the alleged sex discrimination.
"Though it has been some years since EEOC first filed suit, these cases were actually resolved fairly early in the litigation process," EEOC Chicago District Director Julie Bowman said. "No depositions have yet been taken in the case, sparing both EEOC and the companies the expenditure of significant resources. We were also pleased that Foresight has volunteered to engage the services of a consultant to help ensure that the integration of women miners into the workforce goes smoothly and is successful."
The companies involved in the lawsuits were Mach Mining and various affiliates – Foresight Energy Services LLC, Foresight Energy LLC, Foresight Energy LP, Foresight Energy Labor LLC, Hillsboro Energy LLC, Macoupin Energy LLC, MaRyan Mining LLC, M-Class Mining LLC, Patton Mining LLC, Sugar Camp Energy LLC, Viking Mine LLC, and Williamson Energy LLC. These are all part of St. Louis-based Foresight Energy.
"EEOC is pleased with the ongoing success of its systemic initiative,” EEOC Deputy General Counsel James Lee said. “When an employer like Foresight Energy, which is prominent in its field, agrees to enter into a strong consent decree such as this, we find that other employers in the industry often implement similar reforms. In this way, the impact of our larger cases has a helpful ripple effect."