Eleven current and former Amtrak employees filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against Amtrak after they were allegedly denied promotions and forced to work the graveyard shift.
An attorney out of Walnut Creek filed the lawsuit in Alameda Superior Court on Monday.
The lawsuit claims the employees, who work in the Amtrak maintanence yard in Oakland, were denied promotions, forced to work in a hostile environment, harassed and endured emotional distress.
One plantiff said he has tried for nine years to get off the graveyard shift, but non-African Americans were promoted over him despite their lack of experience, according to the suit.
"When you have this many people complaining about this widespread a problem, this longstanding a problem, it's apparent that something more than a lack of qualification is going on here," attorney Paul Justi said.
"I guess I was in denial," plaintiff Tamika McGee said. "I didn't think that racism really existed in this time and day."
A company spokesperson said Amtrak does not comment on pending litigation.
