Maria Alaniz v. California Processors, Inc., Claim of Connie Barrios and Louise Lopez, Claimants-Appellants v. Contadina Foods

Connie Barrios and Louise Lopez filed claims for employment discrimination under a settlement agreement stemming from a class action against 74 food processor and union defendants, including appellee Contadina Foods. The settlement agreement provided for training programs, affirmative action procedures and an Affirmative Action Fund, claims to which would be heard by a magistrate. A magistrate, appointed by the district court as special master, entered final judgment for the defendants. Appeal was taken to this court. We dismissed the appeal and remanded to the district court because it had entered final judgment without making a de novo review of the magistrate’s findings. After a second appeal, the district court held a hearing, conducted a de novo review of the magistrate’s findings, and thereafter entered judgment for the defendants, from which Barrios and Lopez now appeal. We affirm.

I. FACTS AND PROCEEDINGS BELOW

Appellants have been seasonal employees at Contadina Foods’ Woodland, California cannery since the 1940’s. The majority of jobs available at Contadina were seasonal, but some workers were required for year-round work in appellee’s warehouse. Such “regular”…