Labor Dept. sues Goodyear for alleged gender bias in hiring
RICHMOND, Va.-The Richmond office of the U.S. Department of Labor has filed suit against Goodyear, claiming the company discriminated against hundreds of women in its entry-level hiring at its Danville, Va., tire plant.
The alleged gender bias at Danville took place between January 1998 and June 1999, according to a compliance review conducted by the agency's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs. The Labor Department seeks a court order for Goodyear to hire the women in question and to provide them with back pay, retroactive seniority and other employment benefits.
In a prepared statement, Goodyear denied the charges and said it is working actively with the agency to resolve the issue. The company will not comment further while the case is pending, it added.
The case is before the Office of Administrative Law Judges in Washington, and Goodyear has until July 3 to file its response. Executive Order 11246 makes it illegal for federal contractors to discriminate against workers and applicants because of gender, race, color, creed or national origin.
GPX receives $160 million senior credit facility
BOSTON-Citizens Bank of Massachusetts and RBS Securities Corp. are providing a $160 million senior credit facility for specialty tire maker and distributor GPX International Tire Corp.
Malden, Mass.-based GPX said it is a longstanding customer of Citizens Bank and is using the new credit facility to finance acquisitions and capital expenditures and to provide working capital for continued expansion.
Citizens Bank is the administrative agent, and RBS is the sole lead arranger and bookrunner.
GPX was formed in 2005 when Galaxy Tire & Wheel Inc. of Boston merged with Dynamic Tire Corp. of Toronto.
Citizens is the eighth-largest commercial banking company in the U.S., based on deposits as of last September. The bank is owned by RBS, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group P.L.C.