Suit Claims Bias in Lucky’s Hiring

A class-action discrimination lawsuit was filed Friday in Los Angeles federal court against Lucky Stores Inc. by public-interest attorneys who claimed they represent all Latinos, blacks and women who have worked, now work or will work for the supermarket chain.

The suit did not specify a damage amount, but its allegations encompass all Lucky and Food Basket stores in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties.

The suit said that one of its goals is to stop what the plaintiffs contend is the chain’s policies of “decision making by an almost all white, all male supervisory and managerial staff and nepotism in . . . recruitment, hiring, job assignment and promotional decisions.”

Lucky’s corporate offices, located near San Francisco, was closed Friday as part of the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, so no one was available for comment.

The suit, filed by attorneys with the Center for Law in the Public Interest in Westwood, alleges that only 5% of Lucky’s store managers are women, while 40% of its work force is female.

The suit said that in 1983, 21% of Lucky’s employees were Latino and 6% were black, while Latinos made up 27% of the labor force and blacks made up 11%.

It also claims that women and minorities are segregated in low-paying positions because company officials “prefer white persons in hiring at entry level jobs and white men in making job assignments and promotions.”

The lawsuit identifies two alleged victims--Denise Ballesteros, who is Latino, and Cheryl D. Chislom, a black. Both women live in San Bernardino County.