Settlement Reached in Discrimination Claim against Louisiana Crane

September 1, 2015 - The Justice Department has reached a settlement with Louisiana Crane & Construction LLC to resolve a lawsuit alleging Louisiana Crane required workers without U.S. citizenship to produce documents issued by the Department of Homeland Security as a condition of employment. The lawsuit was filed by the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC), according to an article on 7thspace.com.

 

The lawsuit alleges the crane company did not make similar demands of U.S. citizens. The anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers from placing additional documentary burdens on workers during the employment eligibility verification process based on the worker’s citizenship status.

 

Under the settlement agreement, Louisiana Crane will pay $165, 000 in civil penalties to the United States, and establish a $50, 000 back-pay fund to compensate workers who lost wages because of the company’s practices. The company must also undergo monitoring for two years, and train its employees on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision, according to the article.