The U.S. Department of Labor has announced that Ball Container LLC, a subsidiary of Ball Corp., will pay $309,000 in back wages and interest to settle allegations of race-based hiring discrimination at its beverage manufacturing facility in Rome, Georgia. This resolution follows a compliance review by the department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which found that from February 1, 2020, through January 31, 2021, the company discriminated against 192 Black applicants for production technician positions.

The actions taken by Ball Container were found to be in violation of Executive Order 11246. This order prohibits federal contractors from employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

In addition to financial compensation, Ball Container has agreed to offer four job positions to eligible class members when available. The company will also review and revise its hiring process and provide training for managers and supervisors involved in hiring.

Michele Hodge, Acting Director of the OFCCP stated: “Discrimination is preventable when employers have nondiscriminatory hiring procedures in place and see to it that they are followed." Diana Sen, Acting Southeast Regional Director for the OFCCP in Atlanta added: “Federal contractors that fail to give equal consideration to all applicants – regardless of gender, race or ethnicity – violate the law.”

Ball Corp., headquartered in Westminster, Colorado, is a federal contractor known for supplying aluminum packaging as well as aerospace technologies primarily for the U.S. government. Since 2020, it has received over $1.1 billion in contracts with various government agencies including the Department of the Air Force and NASA.

The OFCCP has launched a Class Member Locator tool aimed at identifying individuals who may be entitled to monetary relief or job placement due to compliance evaluations and complaint investigations. Those who applied for production technician positions with Ball Container LLC during the specified period can use this tool for more information.

Apart from Executive Order 11246, OFCCP enforces Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974—laws designed to prohibit employment discrimination.

For further details about OFCCP’s work and initiatives visit their website.