Kodak unfair to minorities, lawsuit alleges

Black employees at Eastman Kodak Co. are paid less than their white counterparts, promoted less often and consistently subjected to slurs, graffiti and other racially hostile acts, according to a major class-action lawsuit filed in Rochester late Friday. Ten present and former employees, along with the group known as Employees Committed for Justice, allege that Kodak systematically mistreats African-American workers. They are asking a judge to allow them to represent all present and former African-American Kodak employees, a number that could reach into the thousands. The suit also cites the results of an investigation by the federal agency charged with enforcing civil rights laws. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued a decision saying that Kodak had begun to "backslide into old patterns' in its treatment of black employees, but it declined to file a lawsuit. Kodak said late Friday it does not comment on pending litigation. [more]