Gilbert v. General Electric Co‪.‬

This is a class action by certain women employees of the defendant to secure affirmative injunctive relief under Section 2000e-5(f) (3), 42 U.S.C., that childbirth disabilities of women employees of the defendant are compensable under the defendants employee disability plan which is applicable generally throughout all defendants plants. Following the disposition of certain procedural motions relating to venue and the propriety of class representation, the District Court proceeded to the merits of the controversy and, in granting relief, held the denial of pregnancy-related disability benefits violative of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. The defendant has appealed, asserting that the exclusion of such disabilities under its employee disability plan is not violative of Title VII and that, in any event, the District Court improperly permitted the action to be maintained as a class action. We affirm.