SAN DIEGO -- The Zoological Society will pay 100 women a total of $32,027 as part of an agreement announced Tuesday with the U.S. Department of Labor, which found the San Diego Zoo's hiring process disproportionately rejected women for food service jobs.

The agreement was reached after the Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs found gender discrimination in the zoo's selection process.

Under the terms of the agreement, the Zoological Society, which has annual research contracts with the Navy, will pay the 100 women who applied for positions in 2004 and 2005 an equal share of the more than $32,000, which includes back pay and interest.

The zoo also will hire 18 people who were previously rejected for food service positions.

The office's regional administrator in San Francisco, William Smitherman, said the Zoological Society has agreed to take proactive steps to ensure that the violation does not recur, including reviewing its application and selection criteria and procedures, and ensuring job qualifications are uniformly applied to applicants.

It will also perform adverse impact analyses at least annually and provide supervisory and management staff with necessary training.

"This administration is committed to ensuring that all Americans are hired, promoted and compensated fairly, without respect to race, gender, ethnicity, disability, religion or veteran status," deputy assistant labor secretary Charles E. James Sr. said. "We strongly encourage other employers to take proactive steps to prevent workplace discrimination."