Under an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, federal contractor Meyer Tool Inc. is settling its allegations of race-based hiring discrimination.

With this settlement, Meyer Tool is to pay $325,000 in back wages and interest to 60 qualified African-American applicants after they were rejected for entry-level machinist positions at Meyer Tool's manufacturing plant in Cincinnati. Meyer Tool is also to offer jobs to at least 11 members of the original class as positions once they're open.

"Workers should never be denied a fair shot at employment because of factors that have absolutely nothing to do with their ability to do the job," OFCCP Director Patricia A. Shiu says. "I am pleased that we were able to reach a fair settlement with Meyer Tool — one that will provide remedies to the affected workers and guarantee that, going forward, qualified applicants of all races and backgrounds will have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field for good jobs."