EEOC alleges age discrimination at Woolworth
Reuters Story - July 01, 1999 15:36
NEW YORK, July 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
on
Thursday filed an age discrimination suit against Venator Group Inc. , alleging that it
fired
hundreds of workers over the age of 40 at its former Woolworth chain and replaced
them with
younger employees.
The suit, which was filed in Manhattan federal court, alleged the practice was
implemented by
individual store managers and approved by the company's human resources personnel
from at
least 1995 until the five-and-dime chain was closed in 1997.
In July of 1997 Woolworth Corp., which later changed its name to Venator, began
closing over
440 U.S. and Mexican Woolworth stores and firing some 9,200 workers. The first
Woolworth
store opened in 1879.
The EEOC charged that while the chain was still in operation, Woolworth targeted
between
300 and 400 employees over 40 years in age for termination and replaced them with
younger
workers.
"Even when a retailing giant contemplates liquidating a chain of stores, it may not single
out its
most senor employees for adverse treatment," said Spencer Lewis Jr, district director of
the
EEOC's New York office. "Reductions-in-force may be a necessary fact of economic
life. Age
discrimination is not."
A spokeswoman at Venator said the company does not comment on pending litigation.
The EEOC's suit seeks back wages in an amount to be determined at trial, damages and
interest. It also seeks an order stopping Venator from carry out policies against
employees over
the age of 40.
New York-based Venator has about 6,000 specialty stores in 14 countries in North
America,
Asia, Australia and Europe. Its stores include Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker and
Champs
Sports. The discrimination allegations in the lawsuit involve only the Woolworth chain
and not
any of the specialty stores.
Last year Woolworth changed its name to Venator to shed its five-and-dime image as it
shifted
its focus to athletic footwear and apparel and sporting goods.
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