Siemens discrimination in pay

[Anonymous <denally@email.women.com>]

I am interested in finding other females that work for  
Siemens that believe they may be experiencing discrimination
in opportunity, pay or promotion.  The Siemens facility I
work in has roughly 90 salaried females,300 males,500hourly.
20 of the 90 females have filed sexual discrimination 
complaints with the EEOC in the past year.  We have a 
lawyer that has taken the case on a contigency basis, and 
we all believe the Siemens non promotion of females is 
NOT isolated to our single manufacturing facility.  (It is 
also very bad for blacks, but I can only joust at one
windmill at a time.)
   Please contact me directly, or post a reply with 
any info that could help show the Siemens female issue is
companywide, not just plant specific.
My story so far....
I hired into Siemens as an engineer 9 years ago, with 
a back ground of Automotive Engineering.   I discovered that
shortly after I hired in, a male with the same (or less) 
experience was hired at at least 10% higher pay, and a 
higher grade level, for the same job.  I also found out
that most of the males that had my background were all a 
level higher.
I figured I had to prove myself, and Siemens management 
would see the error of their ways, and I would get 
promoted, with equal pay.

Sound familiar?  

After putting in major contributions, major travel time 
(even with little kids at home), and creating their next
generation product (10 patents in my name), Siemens could
not promote me.   I was astounded, depressed, outraged......
I tried to address it with in the facility.   The VP of HR,
our token female, assured me the "we couldn't have 
sexual discrimination here at Siemens, other wise how could
I be the VP?  Tee Hee...."
Then I tried to adress it outside the facility. 2 years 
after I filed with EEOC, spelling out my individual case, 
and the general feeling it was ALL females that were being
discriminated against, the EEOC agreed that I had in fact  
been discriminated against. Siemens didn't come to the table
though.   They gave me a token promotion, reassigned my
job responsibilities to a lesser qualified higher paid male
and then promoted him , and demoted me to the back room.

Back at the ranch, however, I found out that half a dozen 
other females, in other fields, had filed against Siemens.
Purchasing agents, buyers, planners, technicians....every
job classification had at least one female that had filed 
EEOC.   I called the ACLU, requesting the name of a lawyer
to help us handle the case.  The guy at ACLU made me repeat
myself several times.....yes, EEOC found IN MY FAVOR that 
Siemens had Sexually discriminated against me.....apparently
EEOC actually finding something against an employer is 
fairly rare in this district (think SOUTH).
 We now have a lawyer, EEOC has sent in an investigating 
team, the atmosphere has become incredibly hostile, and 
the games have just begun.

Will update on the progress.

The thought that is driving all of the women that filed is, 
it is nearly the year 2000.   If this type of discrimination
is going on now, how will it be for our daughters, or grand-
daughters, in the future?
We need to fight NOW, even if it makes our work lives 
miserable, to insure that the future is better.
Please contact me.