Texaco, EEOC Reach Monitoring Accord

Texaco Inc. and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said they have reached an agreement for the federal agency to take part in monitoring the historic $176.1-million discrimination settlement between Texaco and its black employees. The agency, which is in charge of enforcing laws against discrimination, originally investigated the complaint of six black Texaco employees and found that the giant oil company did discriminate on the basis of race in promotions. However, the agency was not involved in the settlement reached by private lawyers and the company on Nov. 15. The EEOC agreement with Texaco mostly mirrors the private settlement between all black Texaco employees and the company. It provides for the agency to monitor Texaco’s implementation of suggestions by a task force that will oversee the company’s employee- relations program for five years. A hearing on the settlement agreement was scheduled for February.