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EEOC Sues 99 Ranch Market Parent, Alleging Bias Against Non-Chinese Workers
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accuses Tawa Market of paying non-Chinese workers less, scheduling them for fewer hours and replacing non-Chinese managers with Chinese employees. The chain operates 66 stores across the United States.
Los Angeles TimesAudio version
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The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against Tawa Market, parent company of 99 Ranch Market, alleging the supermarket chain paid non-Chinese workers less than Chinese employees and scheduled them for fewer hours. The suit further claims Tawa Market failed to promote non-Chinese store workers and fired non-Chinese managers shortly after hiring them, replacing them with Chinese managers.
Some non-Chinese employees resigned because of the alleged discriminatory environment, according to the complaint.
99 Ranch Market operates 66 locations in the United States, including 43 stores in California. The chain has 25 stores in Southern California and 19 in Northern California, with additional locations in Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Texas, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Catherine Eschbach, acting general counsel for the EEOC, stated that the company cannot terminate non-Chinese managers or discriminate against workers simply because it is a Chinese supermarket.
Christine Park-Gonzalez, director of the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, said customer preference or beliefs that workers from certain groups are more productive do not justify national origin discrimination. Park-Gonzalez added that employers must follow federal law and not exclude workers due to national origin. The supermarket was founded in 1984 by Taiwanese immigrant Roger Chen.
