ECONOMICS REPORT - Morgan Stanley, Boeing Settle Sex-Discrim

ECONOMICS REPORT - Morgan Stanley, Boeing Settle Sex-Discrimination Cases / Martha Stewart's Sentence
By Mario Ritter

Broadcast: Friday, July 23, 2004

This is Bob Doughty¹ with the VOA Special English Economics Report.

Recently we told you about the accusations² of unequal pay and treatment of female employees at Wal-Mart stores. That case is still early in the legal process, and the company is fighting it. But last week there were settlements in two other sex-discrimination cases.

One involves the aircraft maker³ Boeing. The other involves the financial services company Morgan Stanley. Settlements avoid a trial.

Morgan Stanley reached a fifty-four-million dollar settlement with a federal agency, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The two sides completed negotiations⁴ just before a jury in New York City was to hear evidence.

The commission made its case on the experience of a former employee in the Morgan Stanley investment bank. Allison Schieffelin lost her job in two-thousand. She will receive twelve million dollars from the settlement.

Forty million dollars is to go to pay other claims. This money could be divided among as many as three-hundred-forty women. Morgan Stanley also agreed to spend two million dollars for programs to support job development for women.

But Morgan Stanley denied the accusations. The company says it has "at all times treated its women employees fairly and equitably⁵."

Boeing could pay as much as seventy-three million dollars in a settlement approved by a federal judge in Seattle. Lawyers negotiated the deal for as many as twenty-nine-thousand women who are current or former employees.

Boeing avoided a trial in May when it announced an agreement in a class action lawsuit⁶. Details were secret until last week. Final court approval is still needed.

Boeing has denied wrongdoing. But it agreed to change its rules, to make sure women get equal pay and the same chance at higher paying jobs as men. Many women also reported cases of insulting treatment by male workers and supervisors⁷.

Finally, we told you about the legal troubles for Martha Stewart, the businesswoman famous for home design advice. She was found guilty in March of lying about the sale of a personal stock investment. Last week a judge sentenced her to five months in jail. But he suspended that while she appeals.

Share prices in her company increased on the news that she got the shortest possible sentence. Her financial advisor⁸ received the same sentence.

This VOA Special English Economics Report was written by Mario Ritter. This is Bob Doughty.

1 doughty   

adj.勇猛的，坚强的

参考例句：

• Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质：脾气倔强，性格刚强。
• The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。

2 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

3 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

4 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

5 equitably   

公平地

参考例句：

• We should equitably assess historical figures. 我们应该公正地评价历史人物。
• Land was more equitably distributed. 土地得到更公平合理的分配。

6 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

7 supervisors   

n.监督者，管理者( supervisor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I think the best technical people make the best supervisors. 我认为最好的技术人员可以成为最好的管理人员。 来自辞典例句
• Even the foremen or first-level supervisors have a staffing responsibility. 甚至领班或第一线的监督人员也有任用的责任。 来自辞典例句

8 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。