Black employees of Southern California Edison claim racial discrimination

A group of African-American employees of Southern California Edison have filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, claiming racial discrimination in pay, advancement and harassment.

The suit alleges Edison has refused to incorporate previous federal consent decrees in 1974 and 1994 in order to change a racist management culture. FSRN's Dan Fritz has the story:

TRANSCRIPT:

In front of the Los Angeles County Courthouse, attorney Charles Mathews and African-American employees of Southern California Edison told reporters that a racist mindset persists in Edison management, despite lawsuits and consent decrees going back to the '70s:

"They were supposed to implement a career development program to ensure equal employment and career advancement opportunities. And that was never done. It was just not implemented. And to the extent they claim it was done, look at the result. The African-American employee population has shrunk by about 40 percent since the ink was dry on this thing."

The current lawsuit also includes some African-Americans who applied and were denied jobs.

Mathews claims his clients still encounter a glass ceiling, that was identified in a 1974 lawsuit, which prevents them from getting promotions, bonuses and equal pay, as well as performance appraisals:

"I mean, it may be an economic decision on Edison's part, or it may be just racial bias on the top levels of this company that is seeping on down."

Security specialist Joan Greer is one of the named plaintiffs who claims she was harassed after a less competent white employee was promoted to be her supervisor:

"If I asked for a vacation day off, he would say I have to give him 20 days notice when the actual rule was five days, if at all, because they didn't use it anymore. If I called in sick I would get harassed for that, even if I had a doctor's excuse."

In addition to claims of harassment and a glass ceiling, the plaintiffs say a mindset of discrimination pervades the company management.

Michael Hoskins, who has worked in corporate security for Southern California Edison for over 20 years, says company officials would make racially insensitive remarks in front of employees:

"Our former director of security, a former FBI agent, discussed in our staff meeting that we worked for the Grand Dragons, and he was eluding to the executives on the fourth floor of Edison. This is what kind of spear-headed the filing of this class action, because of these kind of statements. The Grand Dragons are associated with the Ku Klux Klan."

ATTORNEY CHARLES MATHEWS: It sounds ridiculous, but 26 people heard him do it. And he did it twice. That's the mindset.

Mathews says his clients want Edison to fix the problem and pay civil penalties:

"As to a specific amount, no. I can't give you one. But it should be enough that stings this company, because it's the only way this company and other companies get the message: that there is not an economic profit in being a racist organization."

An Edison spokesperson would not comment on the pending litigation.

Dan Fritz, FSRN, Los Angeles.