The company said this was the first it heard about the

27 Aug The company said this was the first it heard about the

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canada canada goose outlet goose deals Several male supervisors at a Verizon contracted warehouse in Memphis, Tennessee, groped, sexually propositioned and harassed eight current and former female employees, according to charges the women filed last month at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the federal agency that handles civil rights employment cases. canada goose deals

canada goose black friday sale One woman says her boss at the fulfillment center, where workers pack and https://www.gooseyou.com ship Verizon products, came by to offer her a peppermint, dropped it in her hand, then reached down and grabbed her breast. canada goose black friday sale

Another woman’s boss grabbed her buttocks while he was walking by with a colleague, according to her complaint. After she reported the incident to the human resources department, her boss treated her more “harshly,” and wrote her up for not working falsely, she says in the complaint. She quit in January.

canada goose Filed in two batches at the EEOC in early and late canada goose discount uk April, the charges show what pervasive, systemic sexual harassment looks like for low wage workers of color the warehouse workers are primarily African American who are often an afterthought in the recent spate of Me Too stories, which tend to focus on high profile men and more elite, typically white, women. canada goose

While the first batch of charges got some canada goose outlet website legit local press attention, the discrimination claims filed in late April have not been previously reported.

In this case, the discrimination charges were not canada goose outlet store new york filed against Verizon nor do canada goose outlet store toronto they involve the company’s employees. Instead, workers have filed their claims against their direct employer, XPO Logistics, a multibillion dollar global firm that owns the warehouse and contracts with Verizon.

These eight women are just the tip of the iceberg. There are canada goose outlet uk sale so many more. Everybody in there is being mistreated and overworked.

Gloria Sweet Love, president of the NAACP in Tennessee

canada goose clearance On Wednesday, ahead of Verizon’s shareholder meeting, the National Women’s Law Center,a women’s economic rights nonprofit, and canada goose factory outlet four other groups sent a letter to Verizon official canada goose outlet CEO and chairman Lowell McAdam, urging him to address complaints of canada goose outlet eu sexual harassment at canada goose outlet toronto factory the Memphis facility. canada goose clearance

Canada Goose online Other signers include the women’s nonprofit A Better Balance, the Tennessee branch of the NAACP and SisterReach, a women’s rights nonprofit that is focused of women of color in the South. The president of SAG AFTRA, a union that represents actors, singers and other entertainers, also signed on. Canada Goose online

“The XPO warehouse reportedly exhibits a toxic canada goose outlet online reviews culture that runs contrary to Verizon’s stated policies and practices,” says the letter, provided exclusively to HuffPost on Tuesday. The letter notes that McAdam has been a vocal supporter of women’s rights. The CEO recently proclaimed a zero tolerance policy for harassment at Makers, a women’s conference run by Verizon owned Oath. (Oath is also HuffPost’s parent company.)

“As community leaders, and women’s rights advocates engaged in legal and policy work to fight against sexual harassment and canada goose vest outlet active in the Times Up and MeToo campaigns and movements, we are canada goose kensington parka uk deeply concerned with how Verizon ensures safe and dignified working conditions for the workers in its supply chain,” the letter says.

HuffPost alerted Verizon to the letter on Tuesday night. The company said this was the first it heard about the situation in Memphis.

“We are undertaking an immediate investigation into the matter,” Verizon spokesman Bob Varettoni told HuffPost on Wednesday, after looking at the charges.

canada goose clearance sale Later that day, lawyers from both companies met to discuss the allegations, according to a letter sent to XPO from Verizon, broadly outlining their discussion and next steps. canada goose clearance sale

buy canada goose jacket “These are very disturbing and serious allegations,” Verizon’s attorneys write. “Verizon expects canada goose outlet real XPO Logistics to utilize all measures available to fully investigate the charges and take canada goose outlet black friday prompt and decisive remedial action if the facts warrant it.” buy canada goose jacket

Canada Goose Jackets Verizon canada goose outlet store uk also said that it expects frequent updates on the investigation and that it will monitor XPOs actions. The updates and investigation will “inform the basis of any decisions Verizon makes regarding the future of our contractual relationship with XPO.” Canada Goose Jackets

Canada Goose Parka The letter was addressed to two XPO executives, including in house lawyer Richard Valitutto. According to the harassment charges, Valitutto was also employed by the warehouse’s previous owners, New Breed Logistics, when it was sued for sexual harassment in canada goose jacket outlet uk 2010. The company lost that case, and a judge ordered the warehouse to closely monitor for sexual harassment issues. Canada Goose Parka

cheap Canada Goose It’s not clear what happened after that. cheap Canada Goose

Canada Goose sale A spokesman for XPO declined to comment on the specifics of the claims but said that the company had only reviewed the charges filed in early April and had not yet seen the late April filings. Canada Goose sale

“Our culture promotes safety and respect. We have no tolerance for any form of harassment,” an XPO spokesman canada goose outlet mississauga told HuffPost. “We promptly investigate all claims brought to our attention.”

The charges raise questions about the responsibilities big companies have in dealing with the behavior of their contractors. It’s a struggle that’s somewhat analogous to what happens in the retail industry, where canada goose outlet belgium big labels outsource manufacturing overseas.

canada goose store Other tech firms, including Facebook, do hold their contractors to various standards including minimum wages and benefits requirements. Many, including Verizon, say they have zero tolerance for harassment at any firm they do business with. canada goose store

canadian goose jacket Those kind of policies will increasingly be put to the test as the Me Too movement matures. companies with a far lower profile. canadian goose jacket

“Part of this moment demands greater accountability for preventing and addressing workplace harassment,” said Emily Martin, general counsel at the National Women’s Law Center, which has signed on to the letter.

Companies like Verizon should pay attention not only to the treatment of their own workers but also to those who fall under their corporate umbrella, she said. They have a lot of power to make change.

canada goose coats “Verizon has a really important voice around the conversation they should use that power to stand up for the workers who are trying to seek justice,” said Martin, who also oversees some legal work for Time’s Up, the anti harassment initiative created canada goose outlet parka by women in Hollywood canada goose premium outlet in the wake of the Me Too movement. canada goose coats

The women who canada goose stockists uk filed these claims are hourly workers who don’t earn a lot of money, and many are the sole breadwinners for their family, grateful for the hourly work and full time benefits, despite the hazards of the job, said Gloria Sweet Love, president of the NAACP in Tennessee, which signed the letter.