Workers Sue Over English-only Policy in Deep River, Connecticut

GC Industries Accused of Discrimination

DEEP RIVER - Five Spanish-speaking Hispanic immigrants are questioning the legality of a "common language policy" at GC Industries.

The five men, legally here from Guatemala and Mexico, believe the policy is a violation of their civil rights and have filed a thirteen count lawsuit in U.S. District Court in New Haven.

According to the lawsuit, one of the five was laid off while the other three were forced to quit.

GC Industries is a company that makes a variety of metals including aluminum, stainless steel, cold rolled steel, copper and brass and is known as Champion Manufacturing on Deep River tax rolls.

They have two facilities in town consisting of a manufacturing plant at 6 Winter Avenue and a powder plant at 444 Main Street.

They also have a manufacturing facility in Hillside, N.J.

The language policy is posted on company bulletin boards, signed by company president Thomas Arbella, and became effective on March 15, 2006.

It is posted in English and Spanish and requires workers to speak English only in all GC Industries facilities while they are "on the clock".

"The purpose of this is for safety, quality of product, and efficiency reasons," the policy states, adding that those who violate it can be subject to "warnings either verbal and/or written which may lead to dismissal."

The policy does not apply to employees during break times and lunch periods.

Arbella was unavailable for comment at press time.

A representative from GC Industries said she could not comment on the policy at this time.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, EEOC, the federal agency that enforces anti-discrimination laws, states on their Web site that English-only policies can only be legally adapted by a company if there is a "business necessity."

Attorney Steven Jacobs from the New Haven law firm Jacobs, Jacobs, and Shannon, who is representing the five men, said the reasons for the policy would "suffice if they were true."