Budweiser Beer Maker Anheuser-Busch Accused of Sex Discrimination by Former Female Executive: Male Predecessor Earned 4 Times More
Francine Katz, the former executive of Anheuser-Busch, says she experienced discrimination against her sex while working for the company. But it was not until the company's 2008 sale to Belgian brewer InBev that she realized the impact of the discrimination against her as a woman.
Anheuser-Busch is among the world's biggest brewing companies, operating 13 breweries in America. The label is responsible for production, importation and distribution of three company-designated global brands including Budweiser, Stella Artois, and Beck's. Other brands the company produces include popular beers like Busch Beer, Landshark Lager, Michelob, Natural Light, and more.
Needless to say, it's hard to avoid a Anheuser-Busch beer, no matter what part of the world you're in.
Yet, with such positive recognition worldwide, Anheuser-Busch too falls under the dark veil of sex discrimination against women in the workforce. And Francine Katz is not one to let such discrimination go without punishment.
Katz, who worked her way up from being a young corporate lawyer to a vice president, "key strategist and the beer-maker's top female executive," is suing the company in the accusation that top executives -- including former CEOs August Busch III and son August Busch IV -- paid her far less than they should have during her time with the company.
To put numbers in perspective, including bonuses and stock options, Katz earned just over $1 million in 2012 after her promotion. Sounds like a decent chunk of change until her wage is compared to her predecessor, former National Urban League President John Jacob, who earned a whopping four times that amount in his final year.
Katz's attorney, Mary Anne Sedey, told the jury that, "This was a company run by men who were unaccustomed with working with women at high levels."
The case was taken to trial this week after Katz realized the pay gap after reviewing tax papers in relation to the sale to InBev.
The discrimination against Katz is not the first time the Busch family has been in the public eye for negative occurrences. As a sophomore at the University of Arizona, August Busch IV was responsible for a 1983 car accident causing the death of 22-year-old passenger, for which he faced no filed charges. In 2010, the younger Busch re-entered the public eye when his girlfriend died of an overdose in his mansion, for which a wrongful-death lawsuit was filed and settled for $1.75 million.
Fast-forward to the present, Katz's lawyers claim that Katz deserves $9.4 million she was entitled to from 2002 to 2008, which does not count punitive damages.
Katz testified that Anheuser-Busch's top executives forced her to fly separately to company meetings. According to the Huffington Post, Busch even avoided discussing a contentious environmental issue with her "because he was afraid Katz would cry".
Is the unavoidable beer company one big sexist boys club or not? The court will soon decide.
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