(Updates with comments from city)
NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- A federal judge found Thursday that New York City's transportation department committed a "pattern or practice" of discrimination in its failure to hire qualified women as bridge painters.
In an order Thursday, U.S. District Judge William H. Pauley III in Manhattan found the Department of Transportation lacked consistent hiring standards in the bridge painter section, hired less-qualified men, and the disparate treatment was an intentional appeasement to the section's all-male workforce.
"Despite their years of bridge painting experience in the private sector, female bridge painter applicants were turned away by the defendants," the judge said. "The city did not offer them jobs as bridge painters solely because they were women. This was unvarnished sex discrimination."
The judge said the U.S. Department of Justice's requests for monetary and hiring relief are appropriate, but reserved final judgment.
Between 1997 and 2002, the city made multiple postings for bridge painting positions, which are employed year-round. In the private sector, bridge painters tend to work seasonally, when the weather is more favorable to work outside.
Four women applied for bridge painting positions during that time frame and did not receive jobs, according to the ruling.
"The City and DOT deny that they have discriminated against women in their hiring practices for the position of bridge painter," said Georgia Pestana, chief of the Labor and Employment Law Division of the Office of the Corporation Counsel. "We are disappointed with the Court's findings and ruling, and will be considering our options after more careful review of the decision."
Pestana's office defended the city and DOT in the litigation.
Copyright 2009 Dow Jones Newswires
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