Opinion ID: 2975799
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Unequal Training

Text: Frazier claims that he did not receive the same on-the-job training as non-minority employees working alongside him on the dock. Frazier, however, has presented no evidence that these other employees either had the same position as Fraizer (driver casual), or claimed to have the same extensive work experience as Frazier, both being relevant aspects of receiving additional training. In deposition testimony, Frazier simply refers to these employees as “new faces” he saw on the dock and relies on this description to create an inference that they must have been casual employees like Frazier. Although it is reasonable to infer, based on Frazier’s “new faces” testimony, that these -6- No. 06-6386 Alfred L. Frazier v. USF Holland, Inc. employees were likely recent hires, Fraizer’s comment alone is insufficient to create a factual issue for the jury that those “new faces” were similarly situated in all relevant respects to Frazier. Ercegovich, 154 F.3d at 352. For instance, Frazier has not established that these “new faces” were hired as casual, as opposed to regular, employees. Because casual employees are hired to be called on an as-needed basis, due to additional work or to supplement a specific position, it is reasonable for USF Holland to devote different or additional training to newly hired regular employees. Moreover, on the employment application that Frazier submitted to USF Holland, Frazier stated that he had nearly thirty years of dock and platform-related experience. Frazier did not put forward evidence that any of the “new faces” had similar, extensive dock experience, and yet still received additional training. Frazier counters that USF Holland had a practice of not hiring inexperienced dockworkers and, therefore, these “new faces” would not require training different from Frazier. Although there is no dispute that USF Holland’s practice is to hire only casual workers with some dock experience, this still does not establish that these “new faces” had anywhere near the thirty years of dock and platform-related experience that Frazier represented he had. Frazier, who maintains the burden of proof, falls short of establishing that these unidentified employees, even assuming they were casuals, were similarly situated to him “in all of the relevant respects,” because he has not presented any evidence regarding their prior experience or tenure with USF Holland. Therefore, we conclude that Frazier has not established a genuine issue of material fact relating to his unequal training allegations.