Western Sugar and Sex - A Happy Ending
Tammy R. McCluskey
SOC/315
Monday, December 19, 2011
Anne Tindall

Western Sugar and Sex - A Happy Ending
Although Western Sugar Cooperative produces a sweet product, they seem to have a sour attitude concerning female promotion in the workplace. Western Sugar Cooperative, located in Denver, Colorado, has been charged with allegations of an unsweet and bitter relationship with its female employees causing a sticky situation not only for those it employs but also the community as well. Will Western Sugar be able to refine its working relationship with female workers in the community enabling a happy ending for all? To answer this question, the facts must be examined.
The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces federal discrimination laws and has the authority to conduct investigations in regard to these laws. The EEOC is required by the federal government to conduct their investigations fairly and accurately, evaluating information presented by parties involved. Once all information has been presented and accurately reviewed, it is the EEOC’s job to relate their findings to all parties involved in a precise and prompt manner.
In 2011, Lorelei Kilker, an employee of Western Sugar met with the EEOC in regard to alleged systemic discrimination. She filed sexual discrimination charges against her employer for unfair treatment of women in the workplace. “Systemic discrimination involves a pattern or practice, policy, or class case where the alleged discrimination has a broad impact on an industry, profession, company or geographic area” (EEOC, 2011). Western Sugar was facing systemic discrimination allegations of restricting access to management training programs to men only, failing to promote women to higher level jobs with more wages, segregating their positions by gender, and denying