Lawyers say Nextel workers to file lawsuits
NEW YORK, June 20 (Reuters) - About 300 employees of Nextel
Communications Inc. plan to file complaints of racial and
sexual discrimination against the wireless telephone company,
seeking damages topping Texaco Inc.'s $176 million racial bias
settlement in 1996, the plaintiffs' lawyers said on Tuesday.
The allegations, raised by about 2 percent of Nextel's
15,000-person workforce, mark the latest complaints
against corporate giants of widespread discrimination.
Nextel could not be immediately reached for comment.
Coca-Cola Co. last week faced a new $1.5 billion
racial bias suit on the day it announced a tentative settlement
of a 14-month racial discrimination lawsuit with black workers
for an undisclosed sum.
The current and former Nextel employees alleged that they
were mistreated, denied promotions and paid less than their
white coworkers due to their race or gender. Copies of 25 of
the complaints were provided to Reuters.
In one case, a Hispanic male employee alleged his white
supervisors called him "gang banger," "spic," and "thug." The
employee contended he went on disability for several weeks due
to emotional trauma and depression after less experienced white
coworkers received promotions or transfers.
Meanwhile, a black male sales executive claimed he was
denied the opportunity to sell in more affluent, suburban
markets because his white manager allegedly said "they don't
like black people there."
More than 300 Nextel employees plan to file their
complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and
ask the agency's permission to file lawsuits against the
company in federal court under Title VII of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964, lawyers for the employees said.
New York law firm Leeds Morelli & Brown, which specializes
in plaintiffs' civil rights litigation, said it will file 25 to
50 complaints a week with the EEOC until all the claims are
submitted. The firm plans to seek class-action status for the
lawsuits.
The firm seeks "a financial settlement to compensate all of
my clients for their emotional and physical anguish, as well as
the disparities in pay and advancement and their subjection to
a hostile and intimidating environment," said Jeffrey Brown, a
partner at the firm.
Brown alleged that many of the Nextel employees suffered
depression, anxeity, ulcers and other physical problems
following their treatment by the company.
The lawyers did not disclose the employees' total financial
demands.
"Clearly we're seeking more money than the landmark Texaco
class-action settlement. We'll be demanding that Nextel commit
more than $2 billion towards diversity programs," said Brown.
The financial demands come at a time when Nextel's costs to
build it wireless network wipes out its profits.
Reston, Va.-based Nextel, which has about 5.5 million
wireless telephone subscribers, reported a loss of $1.5 billion
or $4.79 a share in 1999 on sales of $3.3 billion.
"This company shouldn't be making a nickel with what
they're doing to minorities," Brown said.
Leeds Morelli & Brown would receive about one-third of any
damages paid to the individual workers. If the case gets class
action status, the courts would determine the firm's
compensation, Brown said.
The law firm contended that the Nextel employees deserve
more money than paid in other high-profile cases since the
discrimination was allegedly more widespread at Nextel.
"The bottom line is that this is 300 people and its growing
literally as we speak. Coca-Cola was eight employees. There's a
far greater problem at Nextel," Brown said.
The law firm also plans to demand that the supervisors and
managers who were allegedly responsible for the conduct be
fired from the company. The firm did not know how many
managers' resignations it would seek.
Texaco in 1996 settled a racial bias case brought by
black employees with an agreement to pay a record $176 million
over five years. It changed its minority hiring and promotion
practices and about 70 percent of Texaco's new hires last year
were minorities or women, the company previously said.
(( -- Jessica Hall, New York newsroom 212-859-1729))
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