29 sue Cat over age discrimination

PEORIA, Ill., Dec. 24 (UPI) -- More than two dozen middle-aged current and former managers at Caterpillar say the company's employee-evaluation process discriminates against older workers.

In a suit filed recently, the 29 long-time Cat employees said younger workers were given higher ratings for similar performance.

At issue is a 2-year-old evaluation system the plaintiffs say is designed to push older workers out. Poor evaluations can result in no raise, ineligibility for incentive awards and eventual loss of one's job.

Ford Motor Co. was forced to abandon a similar evaluation system late last year, following a barrage of lawsuits and complaints to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The system required 10 percent of middle managers to receiving unacceptable ratings. Two such grades could result in dismissal.

"They told me it was nothing against me but that my job wasn't 'challenging," Michael Munge, 52, of Pekin, told the Peoria Journal Star. "Well, then I say, how could someone who worked with me get an increase when I did not other than the fact that they are younger?"

The suit, filed last week, seeks back pay and adjustments to pensions and other benefits.

There was no immediate comment from Caterpillar.

Caterpillar has 72,000 employees worldwide.