The Department of Justice (DoJ) ruled last week that Micron Technology, an Idaho-based memory chip maker, was guilty of favoring foreign workers over American workers in their hiring practices.
“Companies cannot unlawfully discriminate against a job applicant because they prefer to hire someone with a different citizenship or immigration status,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, said in a statement. “We will continue to hold companies accountable, both big and small, for their violations of this federal civil rights law.”
The ruling came after an American worker filed a complaint with the DoJ, in which he showed he was passed over for employment, despite being a highly skilled and having many years of experience in the field.
As part of the decision, Micron will pay the employee $85,000 in back wages. The company will also pay a fine to the DoJ and will have to train its staff on anti-discriminatory hiring practices.
The ruling comes amid a time when Big Business is seeking to hire hundreds of thousands foreign workers, despite laying off a similar number of American workers. They’ve long argued they just can’t find talented Americans, but this argument has been debunked over and over again. Not surprisingly, it’s just a way for management to save money and increase corporate profits.
If you, or someone you know, has been discriminated against in hiring or at the workplace, it is your right to file your own complaint with the DoJ. You can do it here.
US Techworkers is also a great resource for fighting discrimination at the workplace. You can email them at info@ustechworkers.com.