Miner accuses ASARCO of harassment, discrimination

TUCSON — A two-year employee of one of the largest mining outfits in the state claims other employees harassed and discriminated against her and another female miner, and that the company looked the other way.

Angela Aguilar is suing ASARCO after her case was reviewed by the Arizona Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, which investigated her claims and found them to be valid.

In December 2005, Aguilar went to work for ASARCO at the company’s Tucson and Sahuarita locations. While working at the company’s filter plant in January, she claims other employees subjected her to "vulgar and pornographic drawings" that included a specific reference to her.

In her complaint, Aguilar says she complained to her supervisors about this, but to no avail. She also claims they gave her conflicting work instructions to set her up to fail and gave preferential treatment to male miners.

She took a leave of absence in September 2006, less than one year after she was hired. When she returned to work, she claims she was reassigned to "a supervisor known to set up employees for discharge," according to the complaint.

When she reported that another female worker was being harassed, that worker was allegedly terminated. Aguilar eventually resigned.

She is represented by Tucson lawyer Karla Starr, who is suing on the grounds of harassment and a hostile work environment.