Crap....I hate racists!
$40 Million Paid to Class Members in December 2005 in Abercrombie & Fitch Discrimination Lawsuit Settlement
To report any concerns regarding discrimination by Abercrombie, please contact the Monitor, Fred Alvarez, at (650) 493-9300.
In December 2005, the Claims Administrator in the Gonzalez v. Abercrombie & Fitch discrimination lawsuit settlement sent award checks to the over ten thousand class members who submitted valid claim forms in accordance with the process set forth by the Court in the April 2005 settlement order.
Checks ranged in size from several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, in proportion to Class members' damages and their contributions to the prosecution of the case.
If you have moved since you submitted your claim form, it is possible that a check was mailed to your past address. Please note that the checks became void after June 15, 2006, regardless of when they are received.
The Importance of Standing Up to Discrimination in the Workplace
Our attorneys have prosecuted and continue to investigate large-scale employment discrimination class actions. We have represented individuals and large classes of workers and applicants against companies in retail, financial services, food & beverage, transportation, and other industries who have discriminated on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, and other grounds.
If you are aware of widespread discrimination by a company anywhere in the United States, please contact us via email or by telephone at 1-800-541-7358 or 1-415-956-1000. We are available to discuss your experience with you, and, if appropriate, represent you in a discrimination case. However, there is no guarantee that we will be able to represent you.
Summary of the Settlement of the Abercrombie & Fitch Class Action Lawsuit
On April 14, 2005, Judge Susan Illston of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted final approval to a settlement of the class action lawsuit Gonzalez v.
Abercrombie & Fitch. The settlement requires the retail clothing giant to pay $40 million dollars to Latino, African American, Asian American and female applicants and employees who charged the company with discrimination.
The settlement also requires the company to institute a range of policies and programs to promote diversity among its workforce and to prevent discrimination based on race or gender. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is a clothing retailer marketing to young adults, teenagers and children. It employs over 22,000 employees, most of whom are college-age adults, in over 700 stores throughout the United States.
Ongoing Consent Decree Governs Abercrombie's Employment Practices into at Least 2009
The Consent Decree (settlement agreement) contains provisions related to the recruitment, hiring, job assignment, training, and promotion of Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister, and abercrombie kids employees. The Decree is effective immediately, pursuant to the Court's order. An appointed Monitor will regularly evaluate and report on Abercrombie’s compliance with the provisions in the Consent Decree. These provisions include:
"Benchmarks" for hiring and promotion of women, Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans. These benchmarks are goals, rather than quotas, and Abercrombie will be required to report on its progress toward these goals at regular intervals; A prohibition on targeting fraternities, sororities, or specific colleges for recruitment purposes; Advertising of available positions in publications targeting minorities of both genders; A new Office and Vice President of Diversity, responsible for reporting to the CEO on Abercrombie’s progress toward fair employment practices (the Office has already been created, and the VP has been hired and begun work); The hiring of 25 recruiters who will focus on and seek women and minority employees. (At least 24 of the 25 have already been hired, and are working.); Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Diversity Training for all employees with hiring authority;
Revision of Performance Evaluations for managers, making progress toward diversity goals a factor in their bonuses and compensation; A new internal complaint procedure; and
Abercrombie marketing materials will reflect diversity by including members of minority racial and ethnic groups.
In addition, Abercrombie created a $40 million Settlement Fund for distribution to individual class members. Abercrombie will also pay attorneys' fees and costs associated with monitoring compliance during the time that the Consent Decree is in effect (4.5 to 6 years from Final Approval, depending on Abercrombie’s progress). This will total approximately $10 million, bringing the total amount Abercrombie must pay to approximately $50 million. Click here to read the court-approved Consent Decree [pdf format]. The provisions in the Decree are currently in effect.
以下取自別人的 blog
最近台灣興起了一股 Jocky 風，陽光男孩在台灣大行其道，Abercrombie & Fitch 這個品牌在台灣也順勢而起，熱門得很。尤其台灣沒有代理商，更讓這個牌子因為「物以稀為貴」而使得許多人趨之若鶩。但是很多台灣人不知道，其實 Abercrombie & Fitch 是一個有種族歧視的品牌。Abercrombie & Fitch 是一個相當保護白種人的牌子，以前還有內規：不會讓非高加索長相的員工出現在店面裡，以維持品牌的「格調」。現在雖然已經沒有這個規定了，但是可以參閱相關新聞 http://www.afjustice.com/。在 2002 年時，Abercrombie & Fitch 推出一系列的 T-shirt，把歧視亞洲人標語印在 T-shirt 上。最經典的例子，便是他們在 T-shirt 上寫著“Wong Brothers Laundry Service -- Two Wongs Can Make It White.”（見下圖）。
“Wong Brothers Laundry Service -- Two Wongs Can Make It White.”主要是指當初華人移民美國時，很多教育程度不高的華人只能開洗衣店或是 Chinese food 來維持生計， Abercrombie & Fitch 以此為標語將之印在衣服上販售（當時有出好幾款，這只是其中一件）。“Wong Brothers Laundry Service -- Two Wongs Can Make It White.”就是在暗指黃種人（華人）都是在做洗衣店。試想，在美國如果如果店家敢在衣服上面印說黑人都是混幫派的，這家店大概很快就被砸、被放火了。同樣的，Abercrombie & Fitch 這系列衣服在 2002 年一推出來，馬上引起全美國亞裔人士群集抗議，告上法庭。Abercrombie & Fitch 被迫將這系列的衣服撤架，而且類似事件發生不止一次（第一次發生於 2002 年 4 月，而同樣事件於 2003 年 12 月又再度發生）。在此同時，有好幾個控告 Abercrombie & Fitch 不錄用非白人員工的案子正在進行，這代表出問題的不是單單一位設計師，而是整個企業以及企業形象的問題。一言以蔽之，這家店是徹徹底底充滿種族歧視意味的服飾店。美國的媒體（MAD tv）對 Abercrombie & Fitch 種族歧視的行徑以及其企業文化也是多所揶揄，在 youtube 尚可見到許多嘲諷的短片（http://youtube.com/watch?v=w3-WzqfbVHU）。
對我來說，Abercrombie & Fitch 的衣服質料普通、剪裁一般、也沒有特別的設計感，在我眼裡 Abercrombie & Fitch 沒有比 Gap、H＆M 高到哪裡去，但是它的售價卻遠比其他兩家高出許多，衣服的售價與質感根本不成正比。如果要走 Jocky 風，還有很多其他品牌可以選擇，穿著歧視自己的服裝走在街上，很可笑也很可悲。
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