Verizon Communications will pay almost $49 million to 12,326 current and former female employees as part of a landmark class-action lawsuit alleging pregnancy discrimination. Nynex and Bell Atlantic, two predecessors of Verizon, were accused of violating federal law by denying women pension and other benefit accruals when they spent time on pregnancy or maternity leave.
See "Verizon Bias Suit Deal Sets Record", Amy Joyce, The Washington Post, June 7, 2006