Plastics Manufacturer Refused to Promote or Hire Women into Machine Operator Position, Federal Agency Charges

TOLEDO, Ohio – Pretium Packaging, LLC., a manufacturer of plastic bottles and containers, violated federal law at its Leipsic, Ohio facility by failing to promote or hire qualified females as machine operators, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, Pretium maintained a discriminatory practice of not hiring or promoting females to fill machine operator positions. Female employees who expressed interest in the machine operator position were told the company did not hire women for the job. On at least four occasions between May of 2019 and January of 2020, females employed as packers applied for a promotion to machine operator. Pretium did not interview any female applicants. Instead, male employees and external applicants with inferior qualifications were selected for some of the open positions. Pretium also failed to maintain personnel records as required by federal law.

Such alleged conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on sex. The EEOC filed suit (Case No. 3:22-cv-01729 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.

The EEOC is seeking back pay, compensatory damages and punitive damages for all qualified women who applied for, or were deterred from applying for, machine operator positions and were not placed in that position, as well as injunctive relief to prevent future discrimination.

“Female applicants were more qualified than some of the males this employer chose to promote or hire,” said Miles Uhlar, trial attorney for the Detroit Field Office. “Female applicants were not selected because the employer viewed the machine operator position as a ‘man’s job.’ The EEOC will continue to combat outdated sex-based stereotypes in the workplace.”

The Detroit Field Office is part of the Indianapolis District Office, which oversees Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and parts of Ohio.

The EEOC advances opportunity in the workplace by enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. More information about sex discrimination is is available at https://www.eeoc.gov/sex-based-discrimination .