Shirley “Rae” Ellis, a Costco assistant warehouse manager, filed a national sex discrimination class action lawsuit against Costco on Tuesday, accusing the company of discriminating against women in promotions to store manager.
The lawsuit, filed in a U.S. District Court in San Francisco, charges that Costco imposes a “glass ceiling” that denies women promotions to high paying assistant and general store manager positions. The lawsuit is seeking class-action status to represent current and former Costco workers across America who have been subjected to gender discrimination.
“There is no clearer example of a glass ceiling than how Costco promotes workers into assistant manager and general manager positions,” said Brad Seligman, executive director of The Impact Fund, lead counsel for Ms. Ellis. “There is no promotion system at Costco – women must rely on the subjective and arbitrary decisions of Costco’s all male senior management. Not surprisingly, the men at Costco get a better deal when it comes to promotions.” Mr. Seligman is also lead counsel in the landmark case of Dukes v. Wal-Mart, which a federal judge recently certified as a national class action.
Costco operates approximately 324 warehouses in the United States employing over Less than 1 in 6 of Costco’s senior store managers are women, yet its workforce is nearly 50% female, the Impact Fund said in a statement.
The complaint charges that Costco has no job posting or application procedure for assistant manager and general manager positions, nor any written promotion standards or criteria for these jobs, in contrast to lower level jobs. The lawsuit alleges that under this “non-system,” discriminatory conduct is allowed to flourish. Higher-level management at Costco is virtually all male – all of Costco’s operations vice presidents are male, and only 2 of its 33 executive and senior officers are female, according to the filing. It is believed that over 650 current and former Costco female employees were eligible for promotion to the assistant and general manager positions over the preceding three years, the Impact Fund said.
“The best paying jobs at Costco are for general managers, who are typically paid $100,000 or more in salary and bonuses and are eligible for stock options worth many times this amount,” explained Bill Lann Lee, a Lieff Cabraser partner and the former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice. “Even though women hold nearly half of the lower level jobs at Costco, women hold less than one in six of the senior store manager positions.”
Ms. Ellis, a former general manager at a Sam’s Club, said she was promised rapid promotion at Costco when she joined it in 1998. Despite these assurances and a record of excellent performance reviews, Ms. Ellis claims she was repeatedly denied promotion to warehouse manager positions, including many openings in California that she only learned about after they were filled.
After Ms. Ellis filed her charge of discrimination with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the complaint alleges that Costco retaliated against her by transferring to new warehouse far from her residence, requiring a multi-hour commute.
The Costco Sex Discrimination Lawsuit entitled: Ellis v. Costco Wholesale Corporation, Case No. C-04 3341 MHP, is seeking lost pay and benefits, damages and injunctive relief for the class.
(via The Impact Fund)
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I have filed suit against the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Though I have been the more qualified of applicants their system of “Hiring Lists” has denied me oppotrunity and knowledge of openings. Unannounced Positions were filled for Quid-Pro-Quo and I have been retaliated against for EEOC complaint.
As well a hostile work environment prevented me from doing my job resulting in an international treaty violation.
if i want to fill lawsuit against costco what are my chanses to win? discriminiation lawsuit. how and how much it will coast me.?
try to cultivate a more positive attitude to manage a costco warehouse
My wife works for costco and file an L&I claim and ever since she has been Harrassed and retaliated against. we are in the process of talking to two Lawyers now for the pain and stress they are cauising us. And too sharon , you acn consult an attorney on a Contingency basais , which means that they only get paid if you win the case , if not then they don’t get paid. But make sure they will take your case on a contingency basais. Sincerely Richard James October 15th 2005.
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