Lear Corp. Fails in Bid to Nix Black Workers’ Race Bias Lawsuits

Two Black men aren’t barred by their union’s contract with Lear Corp. from suing in court for race discrimination and retaliation, an Indiana federal judge ruled.

The decisions by the US District Court for the Northern District of Indiana highlight that the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement must clearly state that a grievance procedure laid out in the agreement also applies to non-contractual disputes, like statutory job bias claims, for the right to proceed in court to be waived.

Here, the union grievance provisions in Lear’s CBA with the United Auto Workers say nothing about statutory claims, Judge Holly ...