Sysco settles federal claims that its San Antonio-area warehouse discriminated against job applicants

Food supplier Sysco Central Texas Inc. agreed to a $154,000 payout to resolve U.S. Department of Labor allegations that it discriminated against people who applied for jobs at its New Braunfels distribution center, according to regulators.

The agreement follows a Labor Department evaluation that resulted in claims that Sysco Central  Texas discriminated against 180 women and 190 Black men who sought jobs there from Jan. 5, 2018 through Feb. 17, 2020, department officials said.

Sysco officials were unavailable for immediate comment.

As part of the agreement, Sysco paid $154,000 in back wages to applicants and agreed to hire eight women and seven Black people who sought jobs, Labor Department officials said. The company also agreed to review recruitment policies and provide training to workers who handle hiring.

“Sysco Central Texas cooperated with the U.S. Department of Labor to resolve these matters and are taking steps to prevent similar issues from happening again,” Melissa Speer, a regional director for the Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, said in an emailed statement.

During the Labor Department investigation, Sysco Central Texas had federal contracts with the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior, according to the feds. The New Braunfels warehouse is one of 300 Houston-based Sysco Corp. operates worldwide. 

The company also agreed to settle related federal allegations of hiring discrimination against women and Black men who applied for jobs at its warehouse in Lewisville, Texas, according to the Labor Department.

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