Dial, federal government continue last-minute settlement talks

CHICAGO -- Attorneys for the federal government and soap maker Dial Corp. went into last-minute negotiations Monday aimed at settling a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Jury selection at the civil trial in Chicago was delayed for the settlement talks.

"The two sides are talking," said U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission attorney John Hendrickson.

Female employees at Dial's Aurora plant west of Chicago stood to share in an award that could have ranged up to $27 million. EEOC attorneys said they were prepared to use up to 50 witnesses who would testify that female employees were groped on the breasts and buttocks, called names and forced to look at pornography.

Attorneys for the Arizona-based company said the government exaggerated the charges and that male workers who caused real problems had been fired years ago.

The plant in Aurora makes 2.3 million bars of soap each day.

The courtroom where Senior U.S. District Judge Warren Urbom was to preside over the trial was dark on Monday, and a sign was left on the door said, "The trial will not go forward at this time."

The lawsuit is the biggest sexual harassment case brought by the EEOC since the landmark Mitsubishi Motors of North America lawsuit. That ended in a $34 million settlement giving female employees at Mitsubishi's Normal plant amounts ranging from $10,000 to $300,000.

Dial noted that it had put a training program to avoid such problems in place as early as a dozen years ago and even got an award from the EEOC for a job well done.

Urbom is based in Omaha, Neb., but was to preside over the trial in Chicago as a visiting judge.