Filed Date: Sept. 17, 1971
Closed Date: Oct. 17, 1986
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In 1971, Black and Hispanic truck drivers in San Antonio, Texas, filed an employment discrimination suit against Roadway under Title VII and 42 U.S.C. § 1981 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleging that Roadway had violated Title VII by favoring white employees for the higher paying position of road driver while non-whites were relegated to the lower paying position of city driver and the union had violated 42 U.S.C. § 1981 by agreeing with Roadway to establish and maintain a dual seniority system in the collective bargaining agreement for city and road drivers.
On November 4, 1985, the district court approved a proposed consent decree, according to which all class members received a monetary reward, and ten members retained over-the-road seniority retroactive to March 1971, and all members could transfer, without seniority, from a city driver to a road driver position.
Certain class members challenged the fairness of the consent decree and appealed. On October 17, 1986, the 5th Circuit (Per Curiam) held that the district court did not abuse its discretion in approving consent decree.
In 2004, four members of the class brought suit in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas to enforce the consent decree and to recover back-pay and interest under its terms. However, the magistrate judge determined, and the 5th Circuit affirmed on December 19, 2006, that they were time-barred from enforcing the consent decree.
Summary Authors
Kunyi Zhang (6/28/2010)
Garza, Emilio M. (Texas)
Evans, Larry (Texas)
Fields, Richard (Tennessee)
Hicks, James L. Jr. (Texas)
Babb, G. William (Texas)
Last updated March 24, 2025, 8:33 a.m.
State / Territory: Texas
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Private Employment Class Actions
Key Dates
Filing Date: Sept. 17, 1971
Closing Date: Oct. 17, 1986
Case Ongoing: No
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Plaintiffs were Black and Hispanic truck drivers in San Antonio, Texas, who were employed by defendant.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Public Interest Lawyer: Unknown
Filed Pro Se: Unknown
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Granted
Defendants
Roadway Express, Inc., Private Entity/Person
Local #657, Private Entity/Person
Southern Conference of Teamsters, Private Entity/Person
Defendant Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Title VII (including PDA), 42 U.S.C. § 2000e
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: Unknown
Nature of Relief:
Source of Relief:
Form of Settlement:
Court Approved Settlement or Consent Decree
Issues
Discrimination Area:
Conditions of Employment (including assignment, transfer, hours, working conditions, etc.)
Discrimination Basis:
National origin discrimination
Affected National Origin/Ethnicity(s):
Affected Race(s):