Muslim St. Cloud Electrolux workers file EEOC complaint

ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) - For the second consecutive year, the Electrolux plant in St. Cloud is the target of complaints the freezer maker is not accommodating Muslim employees during the Ramadan fast.

About a dozen employees are participating in the latest claim with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Electrolux changed its break schedule for all employees this year after a Muslim employee filed an EEOC complaint in 2010 alleging Electrolux threatened Muslim workers with termination if they broke their fast on the production floor.

But Taneeza Islam, civil rights director for the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, says workers still don't have enough time to break their fast and complete their prayers.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Electrolux spokesman Tony Evans says in a statement to the St. Cloud Times (http://bit.ly/omrUkK) the company is confident that the current schedule "reasonably and effectively accommodates the needs of its employees."

---

Information from: St. Cloud Times, http://www.sctimes.com

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)