Postal Service Settles Discrimination Lawsuit for $17.3 Million

The U.S. Postal Service has settled a class-action lawsuit filed by employees in “permanent rehabilitation positions” for $17.3 million, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

In Walker v. USPS, claimants argued the Postal Service discriminated against employees with disabilities by forcing them to work fewer hours. Edmund Walker -- a temporary rural carrier -- filed an individual discrimination complaint against USPS in 2000.

EEOC certified the complaint as a class action lawsuit in 2005, and the Postal Service has identified about 40,000 employees as class members, according to the American Postal Workers Union. These employees, who had their duty hours restricted between March 24, 2000, and Dec. 31, 2012, will receive written notice concerning the claim procedure in July, EEOC said.

Attorneys who litigated the case will collect about $4.3 million from the settlement, Federal Times reported. The total for each employee will depend on how many individuals file a claim; if all eligible employees file the paperwork, each claimant will receive about $300.