Medtronic Inc. will pay $290,000 to settle a wage discrimination lawsuit that accused the company of paying 78 Hispanic workers in Massachusetts less than their white counterparts for five years, the U.S. Department of Labor said Monday.
The entry-level Hispanic workers are employed at a facility run by Medtronic's wholly-owned subsidiary, Interventional Vascular Inc., in Danvers, Mass., the department said.
In court filings, the Labor Department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs alleged that Medtronic, a federal contractor, broke government rules by discriminating against the group of Hispanic senior production associates. The pay disparities dated back to April 2008.
In fiscal year 2012, Medtronic won more than $33 million in federal contracts to provide medical and surgical equipment and laboratory supplies to several government agencies, the department said.
"Medtronic stands behind its employment practices and commitment to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws," said spokeswoman Cindy Resman. "In this case, the finding is based on a statistical analysis rather than any employee complaints." Medtronic and the Labor Department agree that "there are no current pay disparities for this group of employees," she said. □
Steve Alexander • 612-673-4553
