“An idealist is one who, on noticing that a rose smells better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup.”

— H.L.Mencken

Occasionally, I find something I want to blog about just because of a funny corporate name. This is one of those times. The U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”)  Office of Contract Compliance Programs (“OFCCP”) just issued a news release entitled “BIMBO BAKERIES WILL PAY $131K TO RESOLVE ALLEGED HIRING DISCRIMINATION IDENTIFIED IN US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AUDIT OF NEBRASKA BAKING PLANT.”

Let’s let that sink in. There is a government contractor called Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc. (“Bimbo”) which just paid monies for allegedly refusing to hire women to work as bakers. It is the last part that would make my mother laugh out loud. Of course we all know Bimbo Bakeries by its brand name products -- Sara Lee, Arnold, Entenmann’s, Thomas’, Beefsteak, Freihofer’s, Nature’s Harvest and Boboli. (Why is it those Thomas’ english muffins are so much better than the competition?)

And who are the government agencies which are apparently hiring the bimbos of the world?  Try the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Defense Logistics Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, among other government agencies. I guess we always knew this was the case.

Anyway, Bimbo will pay $131,216 in back pay and interest to 134 qualified female applicants as part of an agreement with OFCCP to resolve alleged hiring discrimination at a Bellevue, Nebraska baking facility. A compliance review conducted by OFCCP found that from Jan. 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, Bimbo discriminated against female applicants who applied to work as bakers and loaders, positions which are classified as jobbers. Under Executive Order 11246 that is a problem, as Bimbo learned.

If you think you may be a class member who applied for a jobber position at Bimbo, go ahead and read the DOL press release and then apply for your share of the settlement proceeds. See  https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/ofccp/ofccp20220224.