Abdullah, et al. v. Local 46, et al. Historic Case

At a Glance

Date Filed: 

April 1999

Current Status 

After many complex negotiations a settlement of all issues was reached in September 2003.

Client(s) 

A case on behalf of 40 plaintiffs charging the Metal Lathers Local 46 Union with discrimination that violated Title VII and the Civil Rights Acts of 1866.

Case Description 

In April 1999, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) filed a case on behalf of 40 plaintiffs charging the Metal Lathers Local 46 Union with discrimination that violated Title VII and the Civil Rights Acts of 1866. This was a continuation of previous cases filed in 1994.

After several weeks of negotiations, CCR, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and Local 46 arrived at a groundbreaking comprehensive settlement agreement. In this settlement, the defendants agreed to arbitrate the individual claims for monetary damages and to create a workers’ panel that would be mostly elected by members of color. The settlement agreement also included worker-training and mentorship programs and provided for a freeze on job transfers when unemployment among the union membership reached a certain level. The agreement extended beyond the parties in the case and reached all members of color as well as contractors.

After many complex negotiations a settlement of all other issues was reached in September 2003. The settlement included several components. These are:

1. continuing oversight until at least December 31, 2005, whereby every three months, the Union would allow CCR to review documents to spot any violations of the hiring hall rules;
2. heightened record-keeping requirements by the Union;
3. more clearly defined hiring hall rules in which the major loopholes were closed;
4. training three times a year so that members of color and others can upgrade their job skills;
5. additional pension credits for retired members who have lost service credits due to the faulty referral system; and
6. payment of partial litigation expenses.