The largest Asian supermarket chain in the US has been hit with a bombshell federal lawsuit accusing it of paying non-Chinese workers less as part of pattern of discrimination against employees of other races.
California-based 99 Ranch Market –– which has 66 locations across the US and 43 stores in the Golden State alone –– allegedly scheduled non-Chinese workers for fewer hours than employees of Chinese origin, according to the suit filed by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Tawa Market, the parent company of 99 Ranch Market, is also accused of not promoting deserving store workers simply because they were not Chinese. Prosecutors allege that some of these employees had no other choice but to resign because of the discriminatory environment.
Additionally, the suit claims that the supermarket fired non-Chinese managers shortly after they were hired and replaced them with Chinese managers.
Catherine Eschbach, acting general counsel for the EEOC, said that the company cannot terminate non-Chinese managers or discriminate against workers simply because it is a “Chinese supermarket.”
“Customer preference or beliefs that workers from certain groups are more productive do not justify national origin discrimination,” Christine Park-Gonzalez, director of the EEOC’s Los Angeles District, said in a statement. “Employers must follow federal law and not exclude workers due to national origin.”
The chain has 25 stores in Southern California and 19 in Northern California.
It also operates in 10 other states, including Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Texas, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
The supermartket was Founded in 1984 by Taiwanese immigrant Roger Chen.
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