Republic Services sued for failing to hire female garbage truck drivers
A Springfield waste management facility has been sued by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission for allegedly failing to hire qualified female trash truck drivers because of their sex.
The lawsuit is against Allied Services, LLC, which does business as Allied Waste Services of the Ozarks / Republic Services of the Ozarks.
According to the EEOC, Jamie Mendoza applied to work for Republic Services as a garbage truck driver in April 2020. After an interview and tour of the facility, she went on a ride-along with a trash truck driver. According to the lawsuit, the company managers told Mendoza during her interview that she should consider whether she truly wanted the position. They said that because female drivers had not worked out in the past, Republic Services would have to build a locker room with a shower for female drivers if she was hired.
The EEOC alleges that when Mendoza indicated she still wanted the job by leaving a voicemail and texting the manager, no one responded, and she later received a general email from the company stating she was not selected. Instead, a less-qualified male applicant was hired. According to the lawsuit documents filed, Mendoza had held a commercial driver's license longer, had more large commercial trucking experience and had more years' experience continuously operating vehicles requiring a commercial driver's license.
Mendoza applied for trash truck driver positions at Republic Services two to three more times, though she was not interviewed again or offered the position. The lawsuit goes on to say that the company has routinely failed to hire qualified female applicants for driver positions because of their sex since at least March 2020.
More than one instance
In the documents filed, the EEOC states that the company had filed employer information reports for 2018-2021. Each year the company had employed more than 50 male operatives (the job term for drivers) and no female operatives, except for one in 2019. The commission states that Republic Services employed fewer women than similar companies in the area. Additionally, labor market data shows that 9.5% of the local labor market for "operatives" is female.
The lawsuit seeks monetary relief for Mendoza and other women who were not hired and an order prohibiting such discrimination in the future.
More: Republic Services adds fuel charge to trash bills; Springfield customers are not happy
"In this competitive job market, wise employers know that selecting candidates based on their qualifications and not their sex is a good decision economically and legally," David Davis, director of the EEOC's St Louis District Office, said in a news release.
The case was filed on Sept. 28 at the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri after first trying to reach a pre-litigation settlement. The case will be heard in front of a jury.
In an emailed statement to the News-Leader, a Republic Services media relations representative said the company "is aware of and disputes the allegations."
"While we do not comment on ongoing legal matters, we affirm our long-standing commitment to hiring practices that are free from discrimination and fully support equal employment opportunity," the company said.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Sex discrimination lawsuit filed against Springfield disposal facility
