Anderson v. Paccar, Inc.

528 F. Supp. 181, 30 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1501, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16502, 27 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 32,339
CourtDistrict Court, M.D. Tennessee
DecidedOctober 30, 1981
DocketCiv. A. No. 77-3062
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 528 F. Supp. 181 (Anderson v. Paccar, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, M.D. Tennessee primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Anderson v. Paccar, Inc., 528 F. Supp. 181, 30 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1501, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16502, 27 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 32,339 (M.D. Tenn. 1981).

Opinion

MEMORANDUM

JOHN T. NIXON, District Judge.

The above styled cause was heard in September, 1980. Proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law were submitted on December 1, 1980, and supplemented on May 18,1981. Oral argument was heard on December 1, 1980.

Plaintiff brings this action pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights-Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq., (Supp. IV 1974) hereinafter referred to as Title VII. This Court has jurisdiction of this action under 706(f)(3), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(f)(3). This Court finds that plaintiff’s claim is without merit.

Defendant Paccar, Inc., is a Delaware corporation authorized to do business in the State of Tennessee. Defendant Peterbilt Motor Company, a division of Paccar, Inc., is engaged in the manufacturing of tractor trailer trucks at the Madison facility. Defendants are employers within the meaning of Title VII.

Peterbilt employs, during normal business times, several hundred production and maintenance employees, who are represented by the United Auto Workers of America Union. Peterbilt also employs a large number of non-union salaried employees performing clerical, technical, and staff functions in an office building separated from the plant building.

Plaintiff Bettye F. Anderson was employed by Peterbilt from December 12, 1970, until February 21, 1975, in various salaried positions. She was initially hired as a “general clerk senior”, salary grade 15. This position was the initial step on the ladder of progression to the position of “buyer” in the Purchasing Department. The company had a policy of advancing employees to the position of “buyer” in stages, and plaintiff was aware of that policy. Immediately prior to her January, 1974, promotion, the company announced that she was beginning the stages of promotion to “buyer”. On April 15, 1974, she was promoted to “senior clerk specialist”, grade 16. She was promoted to “buyer” grade 21, on July 1, 1974. This step by step ladder of progression was eliminated in October, 1975, during a change in management. Prior to plaintiff’s employment by Peterbilt, the company had adopted an affirmative action policy regarding the promotion of women.

In August, 1974, the company transferred the departmental manager who had promoted Anderson, and replaced him with a man named Don Beason. Beason had been at the Madison plant at the time plaintiff was hired, but had subsequently been transferred to another facility. Anderson had known Beason as a superior prior to her promotions and had not liked him. She did not relish his return. From the time Beason took over the Purchasing Department in October, 1974, until her lay-off in February, 1975, plaintiff felt she was being harassed by Beason. This was probably true. However, all of the witnesses called by both sides who had worked under Beason testified that he was insensitive and unpleasant to one and all without regard to gender. Only the plaintiff testified that his attitude was sexist.

As a result of the economic recession of 1974, Peterbilt began a program of massive lay-offs that lasted into 1975. All but 36 of approximately 750 production and maintenance employees were laid off. For these workers the lay-off was conducted according to the procedures outlined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Salaried office employees were not covered by any employment contract. Two hundred and ten of 284 office employees were laid off. [183]*183In October, 1974, coincidental with the appearance of Beason at the Madison plant, the company’s corporate officers provided lay-off guidelines for salaried office employees to the personnel department. These guidelines suggested that a non-mechanical means of selecting those to be laid off should be utilized rather than a procedure that relied upon the lack of seniority or similar criteria. The guidelines also directed the department to avoid eliminating all minorities. They provided that employees be laid off on a basis of a record of unsatisfactory or marginal performance. Prior performance reviews should be considered as well as current supervisory appraisals.

Each department manager was told each week how many employees he could retain for the following week. Each manager then made his selections for lay-off and submitted those recommendations to the plant manager who made the ultimate decision. The first layoff from the Purchasing Department occurred on November 15, 1974. At that time two males, one a clerk and the other a purchase planner who was an acting buyer, were laid off. On December 6, 1974, a male assistant traffic manager, a female general clerk, and a male buyer were laid off. The male buyer had held that position since January 8, 1973.

On January 24, 1975, a male buyer, working in that position since February 5, 1973, and a female clerk were terminated. A week later it became necessary to eliminate another buyer position. On February 1, 1975, plaintiff was demoted to “clerk specialist, sr.”. She admits that this was a sound management decision, but she felt that one of the male buyers should have received the demotion. She did not file a discrimination complaint at that time.

On February 21, 1975, the company laid off Anderson, one of the male buyers who held the position since November 16, 1973, and a female secretary. On February 26, 1975, the company laid off another male buyer, who had been in that slot since November 16, 1973, a female clerk and a female purchase planner. Of the seven persons who served as buyer in late 1974, only one, a white male who was “senior buyer”, was not laid off by the end of February, 1975. A senior buyer has more responsibility than a buyer and is paid at a higher salary. The plaintiff does not assert that she was laid off because she was female, only at the time of her demotions.

When Beason notified Anderson that she was being laid off, he told her that this termination was probably permanent and she should seek employment elsewhere. She received severance pay. The plaintiff did sign a “Salaried Personnel Termination of Service” form which stated the layoff was for lack of work and that the employee would be recalled if suitable work became available. However, plaintiff testified she did not believe that this was a promise or guarantee of re-employment. The termination form listed her occupation as buyer and her severance pay was based on a buyer’s salary.

Two male buyers were later rehired. Both had more experience than Anderson and both had college degrees. Plaintiff does not have a college degree. One of these males had been a “senior buyer” with some supervisory responsibility. Both men were reemployed in April, 1975. In May, the plaintiff found out about their re-employment, and in October she visited the Peterbilt facility to discuss her re-employment. She had an informal conversation with a senior buyer in the Purchasing Department and received no official word on the possibility of her re-employment.

On November 1,1975, the company transferred James McDannald, a male employed as assistant production control supervisor, to the position of senior buyer. On November 7, 1975, the company transferred Ron Fisher, a male rehired senior inspector, to a senior buyer position. Between February 27,1976, and December 31,1978, the company employed or transferred nine persons into buyer positions. Two of these were female, and all but one had college degrees.

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528 F. Supp. 181, 30 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1501, 1981 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16502, 27 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) 32,339, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/anderson-v-paccar-inc-tnmd-1981.