Utility juggernaut Southern California Edison was being sued this week by eleven former and current African-American employees who claim to have been discriminated against while working for the Rosemead-based company.

Above: A photo from Edison's corporate “diversity” web page.

The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that the workers faced a “racially hostile” environment unequal pay, biased job assignments, and evidence of few black people in management positions, according to Associated Press.

There was no comment from the company, but plaintiffs' attorney Charles T. Mathews said, “It is and continues to be a negative culture. They are all second- class citizens at Edison.”

It was at least the third racial discrimination suit against the utility since the 1970s. A suit in 1994 ended in a consent decree that included a $11-million-plus settlement fund and a mandate for diversity training.

Some of the folks in this week's suit were a part of that suit as well.

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