Meatpacker settles hiring-bias charges
Cargill Inc., one of the world’s largest meatpackers, agreed to settle discrimination charges with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the department said Wednesday.
As part of the settlement, Cargill will pay more than $2.2 million in back wages and interest to applicants who were rejected for jobs at Cargill Meat Solutions’ facilities in Springdale; Fort Morgan, Colo.; and Beardstown, Ill.
More than 2,900 applicants were rejected for jobs based on race and sex. Affected workers include female applicants at the Springdale and Fort Morgan plants; white and Hispanic applicants at Fort Morgan; and black and white applicants at the Beardstown plant.
In addition to payment of back wages, Cargill will extend more than 350 job offers to workers as jobs become available, as well as ensure hiring practices and record-keeping requirements comply with law.
- Tina Parker
Bentonville’s 21c a TripAdvisor top 10
The 21c Museum Hotel in Bentonville has been ranked No. 6 on the list of top 10 hotels in the U.S. for 2014 by the travel website TripAdvisor.
The $30 million, four-story 21c opened in downtown Bentonville in February. It features 12,000 square feet of art exhibition and event space.
The top 10 hotels were determined and ranked based on the reviews and opinions of millions of the site’s travelers from around the world, according to a release. The top three properties were The Grand Del Mar in San Diego; the French Quarter Inn in Charleston, S.C.; and the Bardessono in Yountville, Calif.
In October the property was ranked No. 1 on a TripAdvisor list showcasing the hottest new hotels in the U.S. and in July made the list of the 10 quirkiest hotels in the nation.
- John Magsam
State index up 1.24, ends day at 332.10
The Arkansas Index, a price-weighted index that tracks the largest public companies based in the state, rose 1.24 to 332.10 Wednesday.
Deltic Timber Corp.
shares gained 1.6 percent to close at $65.43.
Tyson Foods Inc. shares rose 1.7 percent to finish at $35.58.
Windstream Holdings Inc. shares dropped 1.3 percent to close at $7.66 in heavy trading.
USA Truck Inc shares increased by 1.1 percent to close at $14.03.
America’s Car-Mart Inc. shares gained 1.7 percent to close at $43.43.
The index was developed by Bloomberg News and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette with a base value of 100 as of Dec. 30, 1997.
Business, Pages 23 on 01/23/2014