United Continental Sued by Black Pilots Alleging Bias

United Continental Holdings Inc. (UAL) (UAL), the world’s largest airline, was sued for racial discrimination by 22 black pilots who allege the company offers minority employees fewer promotions to upper management than whites.

The company’s “highly subjective decision making” about promotions discriminates against minority captains and operations supervisors, according to a complaint filed today in federal court in San Francisco. Minority captains are subject to a “dual employment track” and relegated to part-time jobs with less job security and opportunity for promotions, while non- minority employees get full-time, higher wage positions, the pilots said in the complaint.

Virtually all black employees at the Chicago-based company are in non-management positions, according to the complaint. The few blacks in management are promoted to give the appearance of diversity and then excluded from “informal” e-mails and social gatherings where operating procedures, managerial issues and corporate advancement opportunities are discussed, the pilots allege.

United Continental Sued by Black Pilots Alleging Bias