Amtrak discrimination

[MrEd]

A jury Thursday awarded $850,000 as damages to a former Amtrak conductor based in La Junta, concluding Amtrak fired him because he is an African-American.

The U.S. District Court jury deliberated for one day before reaching its verdict in favor of William R. Pearson, of Denver, in the trial that began Dec. 7.

Amtrak fired him in 2006. He had worked for the company since 1974 and had been a conductor since 1987.

http://chieftain.com/articles/2009/12/18/n...06125690391.txt

 

[yarrow]

interesting. must have been some strong evidence in the conductor's favor for a jury to return that kind of award.

 

[Pastor Dave]

I have to agree that with a verdict that large, there must have merit behind the claim.

Does anyone know the history of discrimination claims against AMTRAK? I'll have to do some research on it tonight.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

I have to agree that with a verdict that large, there must have merit behind the claim.
Does anyone know the history of discrimination claims against AMTRAK? I'll have to do some research on it tonight.

Amtrak wouldn't have any more of that kind of behavior than any other company, and I believe they have a very diverse company-- so in many cases I'd expect there to be more tolerance than other companies.

Every company of its size has its racist. I'm not condoning what this boss did, but what I am saying is that Amtrak, as a whole, is not a racist organization.

 

[como]

I have to agree that with a verdict that large, there must have merit behind the claim.
Does anyone know the history of discrimination claims against AMTRAK? I'll have to do some research on it tonight.

I may be wrong but I think I read about a lawsuit filed by several Black employees who were onboard service chiefs. This may have been five or six years ago, or more..

 

[Chatter163]

interesting. must have been some strong evidence in the conductor's favor for a jury to return that kind of award.

I have to agree that with a verdict that large, there must have merit behind the claim.

Why? Juries vote in favor of ridiculous claims all the time. How does that prove that this claim has merit?

 

[Chatter163]

I have to agree that with a verdict that large, there must have merit behind the claim.
Does anyone know the history of discrimination claims against AMTRAK? I'll have to do some research on it tonight.

Amtrak wouldn't have any more of that kind of behavior than any other company, and I believe they have a very diverse company-- so in many cases I'd expect there to be more tolerance than other companies.

Given the fact that the employee worked for Amtrak for 32 years, nearly twenty of them as a conductor, makes one wonder about the veracity of the claim.

 

[AAARGH!]

Given the fact that the employee worked for Amtrak for 32 years, nearly twenty of them as a conductor, makes one wonder about the veracity of the claim.

Why?

Does longevity of service have anything to do with whether one is discriminated against?

 

[George Harris]

Given the fact that the employee worked for Amtrak for 32 years, nearly twenty of them as a conductor, makes one wonder about the veracity of the claim.

Why?

Does longevity of service have anything to do with whether one is discriminated against?

It can make one very skeptical of the results. If it were a pattern, it would have likely come up much sooner.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

My experiecence aboard their trains tells me they have a heavily black workforce. I sincerely doubt the company, as a whole, is racist. But that doesn't mean a particular manager isn't.

But even so, I doubt it. I suspect this person was fired for a wide variety of reasons, many of them not documentable. Sometimes I throw people out of an internet chat club I run for what seems to me to be excellent reasons, but are hard to document- example: "This person acts like a douchebag." As such I don't want them around, but I'm not putting that on their pink slip!

If I have to document, and I don't (I can remove people from a private club for good reason, bad reason, or no reason at all), I will come up with 5 solid violations enough to write them up for enough to can them- chewing gum on the job, in appropriate dress against code, etc- and then can them.

And this guy could have just been looking for a way to take advantage of that. But then again, maybe the claim is true. Its certainly plausible.

 

[DivMiler]

It can make one very skeptical of the results. If it were a pattern, it would have likely come up much sooner.

Not necessarily. While I have no knowledge of the particulars of the Amtrak case, we all recall the case of Lilly Ledbetter, who worked as a supervisor at Goodyear for several years. It was not until late in her career, after about 20 years at Goodyear, that she discovered that she was paid substantially less than her male counterparts.

 

[George Harris]

It can make one very skeptical of the results. If it were a pattern, it would have likely come up much sooner.

Not necessarily. While I have no knowledge of the particulars of the Amtrak case, we all recall the case of Lilly Ledbetter, who worked as a supervisor at Goodyear for several years. It was not until late in her career, after about 20 years at Goodyear, that she discovered that she was paid substantially less than her male counterparts.

Not a possibility here, since pay is set by union scale.

 

[DivMiler]

Not a possibility here, since pay is set by union scale.

Perhaps, but my point is that there are some forms of discrimination that are not immediately obvious to the one who is being discriminated against.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

A little OT but its really bothering me where is La Junta? all i can think of is the locomotive works in altoona pa. i dont think amtrak would have staff there.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

A little OT but its really bothering me where is La Junta? all i can think of is the locomotive works in altoona pa. i dont think amtrak would have staff there.

La Junta, Colorado. Its on the SWC's route.

 

[PetalumaLoco]

A little OT but its really bothering me where is La Junta? all i can think of is the locomotive works in altoona pa. i dont think amtrak would have staff there.

La Junta, Colorado.

Don't know what Amtrak staff there would be there either. SWC stops twice a day. Also a BNSF yard is there.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

A little OT but its really bothering me where is La Junta? all i can think of is the locomotive works in altoona pa. i dont think amtrak would have staff there.

La Junta, Colorado.

Don't know what Amtrak staff there would be there either. SWC stops twice a day. Also a BNSF yard is there.

Crew change point, so there would be conductors and engineers at the very least.

 

[yarrow]

Given the fact that the employee worked for Amtrak for 32 years, nearly twenty of them as a conductor, makes one wonder about the veracity of the claim.

Why?

Does longevity of service have anything to do with whether one is discriminated against?

It can make one very skeptical of the results. If it were a pattern, it would have likely come up much sooner.

maybe we should just throw out our legal system. get rid of the jury and let fox news tell us what is really happening.

 

[tp49]

I have to agree that with a verdict that large, there must have merit behind the claim.
Does anyone know the history of discrimination claims against AMTRAK? I'll have to do some research on it tonight.

Amtrak wouldn't have any more of that kind of behavior than any other company, and I believe they have a very diverse company-- so in many cases I'd expect there to be more tolerance than other companies.

Given the fact that the employee worked for Amtrak for 32 years, nearly twenty of them as a conductor, makes one wonder about the veracity of the claim.

Not necessarily considering the jury was privy to much more information then any of us who read the posted article. Amtrak also has the option to appeal the verdict if they so choose.

 

[Guest]

Amtrak also has the option to appeal the verdict if they so choose.

Though appeals have to be made based on law (and it possibly misapplication by the judge), not on reviewing the facts again. Well, unless the appeals court finds that the only remedy for an error in law, is a new trail which then, would, go thru the facts again in front of a new jury.