Ford Motor Co. has agreed to pay $2.3 million and do extensive anti-discrimination training as part of a settlement to a 2021 charge alleging race and national origin harassment claims at its stampling plant in Buffalo, New York.
The racial charges made at the Buffalo Stamping Plant — where Ford has 800 employees and makes body panels and other parts for various vehicles including the F-Series pickups — were investigated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The commission announced the settlement on Sept. 1.
Earlier in the day, Ford's Bryce Currie, chief manufacturing officer for Ford, visited the Buffalo Stamping Plant to meet with all shifts to explain to workers the agreed upon settlement before it became public. He also
outlined the steps Ford took and continues to put in place to ensure a safe and respectful workplace.
"As soon as concerns were brought forward, we took action to improve accountability, strengthen employee support, and upgrade the workplace environment," Currie told the employees, according to a transcript of his speech at the plant that Ford provided exclusively to the Detroit Free Press. "Under new plant leadership, we enhanced on-site (human resource) resources and invested more than $3.5 million in facility and security improvements. Those investments included installing 326 high-definition cameras throughout the plant, applying specialized anti-graffiti coatings in restrooms, and implementing a strict rapid-response process to report and remove offensive material."
Currie said Ford has also expanded training on respect in the workplace across all shifts.
"These actions reflect who we are as a company: When we see an opportunity to do better, we lean in, address problems directly, and invest in lasting solutions that make a difference," Currie said in his speech. "We will continue to modernize our operations here and your experience. That means safer workplaces, better facilities, strong leadership, and a culture where everyone can do their best work and feel proud of where they work."
EEOC investigation
In a media release, the federal agency said its investigation found reasonable cause to believe that Ford personnel at the plant subjected numerous employees to harassment and discrimination based on race and national origin.
The EEOC said during its investigation it found graffiti targeting Black employees and employees of various national origins, including Native American and Hispanic workers, scrawled in several employee areas throughout the plant, including bathrooms and break rooms.
The conduct violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the EEOC said. That act prohibits discrimination, including harassment, because of an individual’s race and national origin.
The EEOC said following the investigation, "the parties engaged in the EEOC’s pre-litigation conciliation process, resulting in a conciliation agreement."
“We appreciate Ford’s cooperation throughout this process and the proactive steps taken to improve conditions at the facility during the investigation. Their willingness to engage constructively demonstrates a genuine commitment to fostering a workplace free of discrimination,” Arlean Nieto, acting director of the EEOC’s New York District, said in a statement.
Nieto said the agency was prepared to enforce Title VII "by any means necessary." But it was pleased to see an employer working toward a settlement.
"This approach allows the agency to secure meaningful relief for workers, strengthen accountability, and help prevent future discrimination without the need for litigation," Nieto said.
What Ford must do
The settled agreement will provide $2.3 million in cash to eligible claimants, the EEOC said. On top of that, Ford has agreed to post information explaining the anti-graffiti protocol, conduct regular training at the Buffalo plant, and report to the EEOC regarding any discrimination complaints or graffiti at the facility over the next three years.
The agency said during the investigation, Ford voluntarily took steps to prevent and address discriminatory graffiti at the Buffalo facility. These actions included:
- Ford upgraded the plant's surveillance system.
- Ford coated restroom surfaces with graffiti-repellant materials.
- Ford is developing a "rigorous" graffiti reporting and removal protocol.
The EEOC said the measures have already driven a significant decline in reported graffiti at the plant.
“Ford does not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind," Currie said in the EEOC statement.
Currie said under new leadership, Ford has made significant progress and is committed to keeping this facility a safe and respectful workplace.
"We maintain strict policies against misconduct and thoroughly investigate all allegations, with penalties up to and including termination,” Currie added.
Ford's crackdown ruffles feathers
Indeed, Ford's crackdown on its rules for employee behavior has ignited some pushback recently.
As the Detroit Free Press reported on Aug. 5, Ford said it has been quietly upgrading safety and security measures inside all its U.S. factories over the past three years, adding security officers, upgraded surveillance systems and cameras, testing the use of detection dogs trained to search for firearms and explosives and enforcing a zero tolerance policy for those who break the rules.
In some instances, there have been employees who have been terminated for breaking Ford's policies. The Local UAW can file a grievance if it believes there were mitigating circumstances that should allow for a terminated person to get their job back. This is where Ford's crackdown has ruffled at least two local unions. UAW Local 249, which represents some 9,000 workers at Ford's Kansas City Assembly Plant in Claycomo, Missouri, where the automaker builds the F-150 pickup and Ford Transit commercial van, filed a charge on July 28 against Ford with the National Labor Relations Board.
Then, on Aug. 11, UAW Local 1250, which represents the hourly workforce at Ford Cleveland Engine Plant in Brook Park, Ohio, where Ford builds its EcoBoost engines, filed a charge with the labor board. Both locals allege Ford has repeatedly violated a part of Article VII in the union's national contract that outlines how grievances are handled.
But Ford spokesman Dave Tovar told the Detroit Free Press at the time that the local unions do not like the fact that Ford is not rubber-stamping grievances and allowing those who violated the rules an automatic second chance.
"We take very seriously the process that is in the contract for how to work through issues," Tovar told the Detroit Free Press. "They (local unions) don’t like the fact that we’re reviewing these (grievances) and not just approving these at the local level. We’re being more thoughtful and enforcing our policies and improving the safety and security at our plants and they don’t like that."
Ford's history of racial and ethnic issues
Ford has been accused of race and ethnicity issues in the past. In fact, according to the Henry Ford museum website as reported by the Detroit Free Press in 2021, the most controversial pertains to company founder Henry Ford and anti-Semitism.
In recent years, Ford has paid up to $10.1 million to settle racial and sexual harassment charges that stemmed from — but weren't limited to — an investigation by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. In 2017, The New York Times did a story on problems at the Chicago Assembly Plant that inspired then-CEO Jim Hackett to go in person to the facility to apologize in 2018 and launch an anti-harassment campaign while committing publicly to a safe workplace.
The EEOC said anyone who worked at Ford’s Buffalo Stamping Plant during the relevant period and believe they may have experienced discrimination or harassment based on race or national origin, including exposure to discriminatory graffiti, may be eligible to participate in this settlement. Potential claimants can contact the EEOC at buffgov@eeoc.gov for more information about the claims process.
Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer for USA TODAY Co. who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford to pay $2.3M to settle Buffalo Stamping racial harassment case
