Freeman v. Motor Convoy, Inc.

409 F. Supp. 1100
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. Georgia
DecidedFebruary 10, 1976
DocketCiv. A. 16185
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 409 F. Supp. 1100 (Freeman v. Motor Convoy, Inc.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. Georgia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Freeman v. Motor Convoy, Inc., 409 F. Supp. 1100 (N.D. Ga. 1976).

Opinion

RICHARD C. FREEMAN, District Judge.

ORDER

This is a class action brought pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e, et seq. (hereinafter Title VII) and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, to recover for racial discrimination in employment. Defendant Motor Convoy, Inc. (hereinafter the Company) is an interstate motor carrier of motor vehicles with its main office in Atlanta, Georgia. Defendant Company is a party to the “National Master Automobile Transporters Agreement” and the “Central and Southern Areas Supplemental Agreements” with defendant Teamsters Local Union No. 528 (hereinafter the Local), which is affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Chauffeurs, Ware-housemen and Helpers of America (hereinafter the International). Plaintiff Freeman is an employee of the defendant Company presently employed in the shop of defendant’s Atlanta facility. Intervenor Spencer is. employed as an “over-the-road” driver; however, he is presently in layoff status. A class has been certified in this action, consisting of “all black employees of Motor Convoy, Inc., excluding office and supervisory personnel, who are employed, or who were employed and have been discharged or laid off since July 2, 1965, within the Southern Conference of Teamsters.” See Freeman v. Motor Convoy, Inc. (N.D.Ga.1974), 68 F.R.D. 196, 19 F.R.Serv.2d 650, reconsideration denied, 68 F.R.D. 204 (Jan. 9, 1975).

This action was tried before the court on March 11 — 13, 1975, at which time the parties introduced testimonial and documentary evidence, as well as stipulations, concerning the merits of this case. In fact, it is clear, based on the stipulation of the parties submitted on commencement of the trial, that plaintiffs have established a prima facie case of discrimination in employment. See, e. g., United States v. T.I.M.E.-D.C., Inc., 517 F.2d 299 (5th Cir. 1975); Sabala v. Western Gillette, Inc., 516 F.2d 1251 (5th Cir. 1975); Rodriguez v. East Texas Motor Freight, 505 F.2d 40 (5th Cir. 1974).

THE PRIMA FACIE CASE

The stipulation of the parties and the other evidence before the court shows that from 1965 through 1974 the defendant company hired some 142 persons of the white race as over-the-road drivers in the Atlanta facility and only 5 blacks. Moreover, all of the blacks hired as over-the-road drivers were hired since 1971 and two of these black drivers hired were laid off within one month of their hiring date. During this period, the total number of persons employed as drivers at the Atlanta terminal ranged from 214 to 140, whereas the company employed no more than 1 to 3 black drivers during this same period. Thus Blacks, historically, and at present, constitute a very small portion of the driver work *1105 force at the Atlanta terminal. Statistics for the other terminals in the Southern Conference area are similar.

The instant proceeding does not solely relate to road driving jobs, however, and the parties have also introduced statistical evidence regarding the racial composition of the defendant Company’s shop and yard divisions. 1 Employees in these divisions did not become members of the defendant Local until 1969. The yard employees were formally organized after the shop employees, but, the formal unionization date was set as October 13, 1969 for both groups. Before this date, the defendant Company did not maintain a seniority system for yard and shop employees, nor did the Company maintain formal job classifications for these employees. Prior to unionization, the yard and shop employees were informally characterized as mechanics, helpers, tire men, greasers, gasers, and porters. Persons informally classified as mechanics received the highest rate of pay among the yard and shop employees. Following unionization, the shop employees were divided into the following classifications: welder-mechanic; mechanic; advanced apprentice mechanic; helper, greaser, and tireman; janitor, porter, and washer. The “helper, grease, and tireman” classification has now been changed to an “apprentice mechanic” classification. The stipulation of the parties shows that following unionization, ten black shop employees were classified as either helpers or porters whereas only two white employees were in this classification. On the other hand, only one black employee, plaintiff Freeman, was classified as a mechanic, whereas 19 white employees were either welder-mchanics or mechanics. As of the time of trial, these statistics had not changed significantly.

In sum, as of the time of trial, the defendant Company maintained job classifications relevant to this action consisting of over-the-road drivers; welder-mechanics; mechanics; advanced apprentice mechanics; apprentice mechanics; and porters. Persons employed as over-the-road drivers, welder-mechanics and mechanics received the highest rates of pay. The relevant statistics show that at all times pertinent to this action, these higher paying, more desirable jobs, were virtually all-white jobs. These statistics establish a prima facie case of past discrimination in hiring and job assignment. See Rodriguez v. East Texas Motor Freight, supra, at 53-55. Moreover, this statistical evidence of discrimination is corroborated by the testimony of plaintiff’s witnesses. This testimony related to several incidents of purported discriminatory hiring, training, and general treatment by Company officials and employees. Although the Company denies any discriminatory motive and introduced conflicting testimony regarding the purportedly discriminatory incidents, problems of conflicting testimony do not constitute a critical factor in this case. In class action employment discrimination cases, it is well settled that each member of a class need not show individualized discrimination where overwhelming statistical evidence shows a continuing pattern or practice of discrimination with respect to the class as a whole. The question in such cases is not whether plaintiffs have shown specific acts of overt or covert discrimination, but whether the defendants have adduced sufficient contrary evidence to rebut plaintiffs’ prima facie case. E. g., id. Furthermore, where statistical evidence shows a long standing practice of relegating blacks to lower paying, less desirable jobs, and excluding blacks from certain job classifications, the fact that past discriminatory policies may have been eliminated does not constitute a viable defense:

[Rjecent minority hiring progress stands as a laudable good faith effort *1106 to eradicate the effects of past discrimination in the area of hiring and initial assignment. But it is not enough to eradicate the effects of the past discrimination against incumbent minority group members who are presently locked into the position to which they were initially and discriminatorily assigned.

United States v. T.I.M.E.-D.C., Inc., supra at 316. The “lock-in” effect results from no transfer rules and seniority rules incorporated in collective bargaining agreements commonly utilized in the trucking industry.

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