MOLINE, Ill. — John Deere is set to pay $1.1 million in back wages and interest after alleged hiring discrimination against over 250 Black and Hispanic applicants.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), a routine evaluation found hiring disparities at three of Deere's facilities in Milan, Illinois; Waterloo, Iowa; and Ankeny, Iowa.
Those affected include 33 Black and 12 Hispanic warehouse applicants in Milan, 36 Black assembly applicants in Ankeny and 196 Black production applicants in Waterloo, preliminary findings allege. According to a press release, Deere and the OFCCP reached an agreement to pay $1.105 million in back wages and interest to resolve the allegations. In addition, the Moline-based company will have to provide 53 job offers to eligible parties and evaluate its personnel practices.
Deere provided the following statement regarding the agreement with the Department of Labor:
"As an equal opportunity employer, we remain steadfast in our commitment to our people and we continuously strive to ensure that our hiring and talent practices advance and champion diversity, equity, and inclusion."
In May, around 200 John Deere Waterloo Works production employees were informed that they were being laid off after 308 were laid off in late April at the same location. In addition, John Deere recently announced layoffs for 150 employees at its Ankeny plant and over 120 workers at its Seeding and Cylinder operations in Moline.