B&H Photo sued by Federal Government

nerwin · Feb 28, 2016

I know B&H Photo have been facing some discrimination issues for a while now but because B&H Photo has a $46 million federal contract and the United States has anti discrimination laws, the Department of Labor decided to file suit against B&H for hiring only Hispanic men into entry-level jobs in a Brooklyn warehouse and then subjecting them to harassment and unsanitary conditions.

If the government wins the case, which it most likely will, the federal contracts could be canceled and B&H will be banned from getting any sort of federal contracts in the future. Which could really end up hurting B&H photo.

I've done some research on Twitter and around the web and boy, a lot of people are angry with B&H and are boycotting them.

Could we see B&H closing their doors someday? I don't know.

Are you going to Boycott B&H?

Sad, Sad, Sad....

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/27/n...-discrimination-of-hispanic-workers.html?_r=0

spiralout462 · Feb 28, 2016

I am a loyal Adorama customer but I have bought from B&H in the past and probably will again. I imagine they hire mainly Hispanics because Americans are generally lazy and entitled. Especially the "cell phone generation"! How they treat their employees has little bearing on me as a customer. As long as they keep providing excellent products, excellent service and a competitive price they will stay successful. You have no idea how challenging it is to find good help for entry level positions! I believe you should "take care" of your employees but at the end of the day they are employees and free to leave when they choose.

Overread · Feb 28, 2016

spiralout462 said:
at the end of the day they are employees and free to leave when they choose.

This was true way back in the post-war era when there were WAY more jobs than there were people to do them. Back in the "you could get fired in the morning and have a new job by the afternoon" times.

These days that isn't the case and many people who land a job are not free to just up and leave; they have bills to pay, dependants, etc... They HAVE to stay in the job whilst seeking new employment which is hard to get. Further if they are entry level warehouse workers chances are they might not have an extensive CV in order to help them secure further work.

Furthermore I don't think its right that a company has the ability to treat their workers however they wish. There most certainly should be standards to which employees are treated to ensure that they are not being abused. Beings someone's employee is not a licence for the employer to treat the employee poorly.

The hispanic aspect I can't directly comment upon, although it wouldn't surprise me if they were willing to work for way less than other ethnic/social groups. Whilst sound on paper it might also mean that they were being paid an unlivable wage or one very low for the market area.

As for "entitled Americans of the cellphone generation" that's a bit of a cop-out. Whilst there are certainly people willing to work more than others it isn't so much a theme that there isn't a single person other than hispanics willing to work .

Gary A. · Feb 28, 2016

Wow, I had no idea. On occasion, I will acquire equipment from B&H. I prefer to buy and support my local brick & mortar store. This will certainly temper a B&H purchase. $46m is a significant sum and most certainly would hurt any business. I had no idea B&H was that big. I will certainly keep an eye on the case and read up on it prior to a purchase. If guilty, I definitely will never use B&H again. But there are two sides to every coin and I am open to see all the arguements from the government and B&H.

jcdeboever · Feb 28, 2016

I have no idea because I do not work there. I am not going to give my opinion based on what is on the internet. It is unfortunate and common that the two sides (employee / employer) can't get along. I have been following it for a while now and I have no idea what to believe. One thing for certain, two different languages, presents difficult challenges with communication for both parties.

Saying that Americans are lazy & entitled is wrong on so many levels. One level is that I am American and I earn every penny I make and I am not lazy. Even if you are generally speaking, this is prejudice and holds no value.

robbins.photo · Feb 28, 2016

spiralout462 said:
II imagine they hire mainly Hispanics because Americans are generally lazy and entitled. Especially the "cell phone generation"!

Ironic isn't it, how if you just replaced the word "Americans" in this statement with any other nationality or ethnicity and you'd probably get smacked around severely by both moderators and fellow posters alike. People would be screaming their heads off about racial profiling, etc, etc..

Derrel · Feb 28, 2016

This is not the first labor case that B&H has faced in court. I'm not at ALL surprised to hear that there is yet another lawsuit that has been lodged against B&H photo.
At B&H Photo, Employees Say Not Everything Is Picture Perfect

From a 2010 article: "The store was sued in 2007 by Hispanic employees who work in the warehouse and were paid less than their Jewish co-workers. The company settled without admitting any wrongdoing, paid out $4.3 million and agreed to regular monitoring by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Currently, seven women are accusing the company of paying female staffers less than their male counterparts -- and reserving the coveted sales positions almost exclusively for men.

The lead plaintiff, Nakisha Cushnie, 30, from the Bronx says the $9 an hour she made was less than half of what her male co-workers told her they were paid. And she says she watched several males get promoted ahead of her.

"Why are there only men in sales and not sales women? We do the same thing -- both have to be trained for that. Why was that not done awhile ago?" Cushnie says."

****
From a late 2011 article: "For the third time in five years, B&H Photo and Video is being sued by employees who say the company has denied them promotions because of race or gender. Bronx residents Luis Santana and Carlos Marchand filed a lawsuit yesterday accusing the huge retailer of denying them promotions and raises because they are Hispanic, the Daily News reports. And their lawyer says he'll make it a class action lawsuit if more people come forward (which, considering B&H's track record, is a definite possibility).

"For those at home playing the B&H discrimination drinking game, note that In 2007, B&H agreed to a $4.3 million settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after it was found Hispanic employees in its warehouses were paid less than other workers, many of whom are Orthodox Satmar Jews. And in 2010, a group of mostly former employees filed an $8 million lawsuit alleging that they were denied sales positions because of their gender. The lead plaintiff, cashier Nakisha Cushnie, said that when she showed interest in a sales position, she was told, “I couldn't because I'm a woman. That simple. That's it." That case is still pending."

B&H Photo Sued Again For Discriminating Against Employees

jcdeboever · Feb 28, 2016

Derrel said:
This is not the first labor case that B&H has faced in court. I'm not at ALL surprised to hear that there is yet another lawsuit that has been lodged against B&H photo.
At B&H Photo, Employees Say Not Everything Is Picture Perfect

From a 2010 article: "The store was sued in 2007 by Hispanic employees who work in the warehouse and were paid less than their Jewish co-workers. The company settled without admitting any wrongdoing, paid out $4.3 million and agreed to regular monitoring by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Currently, seven women are accusing the company of paying female staffers less than their male counterparts -- and reserving the coveted sales positions almost exclusively for men.

The lead plaintiff, Nakisha Cushnie, 30, from the Bronx says the $9 an hour she made was less than half of what her male co-workers told her they were paid. And she says she watched several males get promoted ahead of her.

"Why are there only men in sales and not sales women? We do the same thing -- both have to be trained for that. Why was that not done awhile ago?" Cushnie says."

****
From a late 2011 article: "For the third time in five years, B&H Photo and Video is being sued by employees who say the company has denied them promotions because of race or gender. Bronx residents Luis Santana and Carlos Marchand filed a lawsuit yesterday accusing the huge retailer of denying them promotions and raises because they are Hispanic, the Daily News reports. And their lawyer says he'll make it a class action lawsuit if more people come forward (which, considering B&H's track record, is a definite possibility).

"For those at home playing the B&H discrimination drinking game, note that In 2007, B&H agreed to a $4.3 million settlement with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after it was found Hispanic employees in its warehouses were paid less than other workers, many of whom are Orthodox Satmar Jews. And in 2010, a group of mostly former employees filed an $8 million lawsuit alleging that they were denied sales positions because of their gender. The lead plaintiff, cashier Nakisha Cushnie, said that when she showed interest in a sales position, she was told, “I couldn't because I'm a woman. That simple. That's it." That case is still pending."

B&H Photo Sued Again For Discriminating Against Employees

Well, there it is I suppose. Sounds like they have some management issues. Probably will have a hard time overcoming the latest since there is a track record. Personally, it does make me think twice about giving them my hard earned money. Never bought from them and probably will not now.