Mitsubishi Wants to Settle Harassment Suit

04/29/96

Reuters reported that Hirokazu Nakamura, Mitsubishi Motors' chairman, announced that the company wanted to settle a lawsuit brought against its money-losing U.S. division as soon as possible. Speaking from Tokyo, Nakamura said, "We must acknowledge that such a situation existed in part...but we did not simply ignore it as some have reported. We want to settle the sexual harassment case ...as quickly as possible and are taking steps to do so."

Mitsubishi has been sued in a U.S. federal court by the U.S. government's Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC is seeking an injunction against the automaker to halt what they have identified as a pattern of sexual harassment of women at a Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America Inc. in Normal, Illinois. The lawsuit also seeks back pay with interest and benefits, compensatory and punitive damages that could reach $300,000 per worker for as many as 700 female employees at the plant.

A Mitsubishi spokesman in the United States has denied that discrimination took place at the plant, and the company gave workers a paid day off, a box lunch, and transportation to go demonstrate outside the Chicago offices of the EEOC last week.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel