Black truck drivers get $17.5M Wal-Mart settlement

Black truck drivers get $17.5M Wal-Mart settlement

CHUCK BARTELS, AP Business Writer LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- A federal judge has given final approval to a $17.5 million settlement reached after black truck drivers sued retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. U.S. District Judge Bill Wilson Jr. on Wednesday signed an order approving the settlement in the class-action case. Attorney Morgan "Chip" Welch said Thursday that people in the class applied to drive for Wal-Mart between 2001 and 2008 and were turned away. Wal-Mart would not comment beyond a Feb. 20 news release it issued when the settlement proposal was announced. The company denied any unlawful discrimination and said resolving the case would be in Wal-Mart's best interest. _Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed_. "See related story: Black workers get $21.4 million in Kodak racial discrimination suit.":http://www.thegrio.com/2009/07/focus-on-214-million-settlement-in-kodak-race-discrimination-suit.php