News Article

Workers Asked To Agree Not To Join: Coke Slims Down

The Atlanta Constitution

Published: January 27, 2000

ATLANTA -- Coca-Cola Co. is asking employees who will be laid off and given severance packages to sign a waiver agreeing not to join a race discrimination lawsuit currently pending against the company.

As is standard in most severance packages, Coca-Cola employees will be asked to sign waivers agreeing not to take legal action against the company.

But the company's severance package being offered to employees affected by Wednesday's realignment will include waivers that specifically identify the discrimination lawsuit against the company, said Ben Deutsch, company spokesman.

Cyrus Mehri, the lead lawyer in the discrimination case, said plaintiffs' lawyers will closely monitor the situation.

"If it appears that the company is trying to coerce class members to waive their civil rights or to buy their silence, we will fight it every step of the way to protect the rights of our class members," Mehri said.

Mehri represents eight current and former Coca-Cola employees in a lawsuit that claims African-Americans have been discriminated against in pay, promotions and performance evaluations. The lawsuit seeks to expand the case to class-action status and represent more than 2,000 black employees in the United States.