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AG: O'Reilly Auto Parts to pay $5.6M for pregnancy discrimination in Puyallup and across WA. By Isabela Lund, The News Tribune, Tacoma Published: March 6, 2026, 9:15am O'Reilly Auto Parts will pay $5.6 million after pregnant workers in its Washington stores - including its Puyallup distribution center - allegedly faced discrimination and retaliation related to their pregnancies. According to a news release from the Washington State Office of the Attorney General, the company violated state law "by systematically failing or refusing to provide pregnant and postpartum workers with reasonable workplace accommodations." "The complaint also alleged O'Reilly managers retaliated against workers who requested accommodations, including by threatening them with forced leave, termination, or making them return from parental leave early," the release said. In August 2023, the attorney general's office filed a complaint against the Missouri-based company, with the trial set to start on March 16, 2026. "During litigation O'Reilly admitted that it had not trained its Washington management and human resources staff about the requirements of Washington's Healthy Starts Act, which mandates that employers provide reasonable pregnancy-related accommodations," the release said. "O'Reilly has now agreed to implement training and adopt new policies and practices that will ensure that the rights of its workers will be honored." The News Tribune reached out to O'Reilly Auto Part's distribution center in Puyallup. A manager there gave The News Tribune a phone number for its corporate office. The News Tribune called it and got an automated message saying the number was out of service. The News Tribune then called the corporate phone number listed on O'Reilly's website and a customer service worker told The News Tribune that no one was in the office who could provide comment. O'Reilly Auto Parts has 170 stores in Washington state across 29 counties, the release said. In the release, former worker Ivannah Trinidad said she worked at the company's Puyallup distribution center while pregnant in 2022 and 2023. "She said that when she experienced bad cramps and provided a doctor's note saying she should not lift anything heavier than 15 pounds, O'Reilly management continued to assign her work that exceeded her restrictions," the release said. "When she reported being in pain and requested breaks to sit and rest, her supervisor told her to push through, sometimes not even allowing her to take her standard breaks." Get a rundown of the latest local and regional news every Mon-Fri morning. Trinidad said the lack of accommodation "caused her baby to drop," forcing her to go on leave early. After she delivered the baby, she said she asked management for one or two weeks of extra leave to care for her sick infant, and that management refused, forcing her to resign. Rachel Venefra "worked at several O'Reilly store locations from 2013 until 2022 in southern Washington state," according to the release, and was not allowed to sit down when customers were around. "She often had to lift heavy items against the advice of her doctor, and in violation of the Healthy Starts Act," the release said. "She later found out that her daughter had suffered an in-utero stroke, which impacted her child's brain, a lasting health issue that Venefra said she thinks is connected to blood clots caused by heavy lifting." About 50 workers who were discriminated against will receive compensation "under a $5.6 million decree between the employer and the State of Washington," the release said. The decree also requires O'Reilly to do the following in their Washington locations: * Implement a pregnancy accommodation and anti-discrimination policy and explain rights to pregnant and nursing employees. * "Modify its automated human resources system to include a link to its Washington policies and procedures for any employee in the state who requests an accommodation," the release said. * Implement policies for managers and human resources staff, informing them of these laws and accommodations. * Require O'Reilly to "consult the accommodations department prior to issuing any disciplinary action against an employee who has requested an accommodation," the release said. "For the next four years, O'Reilly will provide the AGO with biannual compliance reports which will include a description of any pregnancy discrimination complaints made by a Washington employee and will indicate whether the worker's employment was terminated while their accommodation request was pending, so the AGO may ensure O'Reilly complies with state law," the release said. Workers experiencing pregnancy-related discrimination can submit a complaint by calling 1-833-660-4877 or submitting a pregnancy accommodations complaint form on the attorney general's website. Get a rundown of the latest local and regional news every Mon-Fri morning.

Meguiar's brings car care experts, products to 2026 Detroit Autorama. Kyle Alexander is the Multimedia Journalist of Professional Carwashing & Detailing magazine. Published: February 27, 2026 IRVINE, Calif. - Meguiar's is heading to The Motor City from Feb. 27 through March 1 for the next stop of its 125th Anniversary Celebration Tour at the 2026 Detroit Autorama Presented by O'Reilly Auto Parts. The Meguiar's team of car care experts will join enthusiasts at the custom car show to share their passion for finishes. Meguiar's experts will be on hand inside the Huntington Place/Cobo Convention Center in Detroit, ready to share their knowledge on how to best preserve and protect classic American machines using the newest Meguiar's products. They will be among the crowd of enthusiasts to witness the announcement of the 2026 recipient of the Ridler Award, which dates back to 1964 and is presented by Meguiar's. As part of its 2026 display, Meguiar's will have last year's Ridler winner - the 1955 Chevy Nomad "Gray Madder" - parked under the awning of its big rig inside the convention center. Visitors to Detroit Autorama 2026 can see Gray Madder in person at the Meguiar's booth and check out the latest car care products. Meguiar's experts will be on hand for car care advice. Ridler-winning 1955 Chevy Nomad. As a longtime sponsor and participant of the Detroit Autorama, Meguiar's will once again present the Don Ridler Memorial Award. Often referred to as the "Nobel Prize of Hot Rodding," the honor is given to the best new vehicle, which must debut at the show. The Ridler Award, established in 1964 to honor legendary Detroit promoter Don Ridler, recognizes "car owners who demonstrate exceptional creativity and innovation to their vehicle builds - qualities similar to those Ridler used to elevate promotion of the Detroit Autorama in the 1950s." The owner of the '55 Nomad, Tom Bresnahan, had always regarded the Ridler as the most esteemed award in the automotive world. He and his family had a dream of building a car to contend for this honor but couldn't have guessed their journey to victory would start with an online ad. Bresnahan found the Nomad posted for sale after the previous owner abandoned the restoration project. It had sat for several years and most of its parts slowly disappeared, leaving just the rust-free shell as a start for his custom project. After purchasing the car, it was shipped to friend and builder Jeff Shores at Southern Comfort Customs & Interior in Ramseur, North Carolina, with the intention of creating a nice driver with a handful of special mods. As often happens, the project snowballed until the decision was made to go all-in and create a Ridler contender. The first step was to convert the Art Morrison chassis into a unibody before the body panels were cut, stretched, shortened or molded to enhance the original Chevy lines. In fact, the only original body section remaining is a 3-foot center roof section, which was lowered to create the illusion of a chopped top (although the Nomad retains its factory head clearance) while extending forward to create the profile. The bumpers were integrated into the front quarters to create a "clamshell" front end, while the quarter panels were repositioned 3 inches back to remove the "snubby" Nomad nose. This required the doors, plus the A- and B-pillars, to be relocated back as well. The custom wheel design was inspired by OEM hubcaps, and that theme was repeated throughout the Nomad. If it was round, the wheel design was incorporated, appearing on the fan covers, speaker grilles, control dials and switches, steering wheel center and the head of every bolt, which was machined to match. The Nomad is powered by an LS3 mated to a GM six-speed 6L90 auto transmission. The block was paint-matched to the interior, and engine bay hardware, wiring and plumbing were tucked away. The same paint color was applied to the Nomad lettering on the valve covers and tire sidewalls. The dark red leather interior contrasts with chrome. The team at Southern Comfort Customs & Interior spent almost 10 years building the Nomad. The build time was delayed somewhat when Bresnahan and his wife Christy were both diagnosed with cancer. Treatment proved successful for both, allowing the project to continue and perhaps providing inspiration for the name, which came about after Bresnahan joked, "I've been thinking so hard my gray matter hurts!" The name stuck and after substituting a few letters, Gray Madder was born. Despite the setbacks, the Bresnahans' perseverance was rewarded with the Ridler Award. Chicago World of Wheels. Following Autorama, the Meguiar's 125th Anniversary Tour will take a short trip to Chicago to attend the 63rd annual World of Wheels at the Rosemont Convention Center. Visitors can speak to the team for car care advice and how to revive vehicle finishes as winter conditions start coming to an end.

O'Reilly Automotive Parts looks to open first location in Cortland at former Rite Aid. on February 25, 2026 More in local News: 244 Shares O'Reilly's Automotive Parts looks to begin their plans to open their first location in Cortland County. County documents filed on February 20 show the property of the former Rite Aid at 1067 Route 222, was sold to O'Reilly Auto Enterprises, LLC. The Cortland Rite Aid closed during the summer of last year following the company's liquidation of all stores. The property has sat vacant since next to one of the county's busiest intersections. O'Reilly Auto Enterprises, LLC. is a subsidiary of O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. and handles the opening of the company's retail stores throughout the country. The company operates over 6,500 locations nationwide selling automotive replacement parts. X101 News has reached out to O'Reilly Auto Parts for additional information, including an anticipated opening date. 244 Shares Discover more Internship program applications Emergency alert systems Music request form SPCA donation drives Alexa skill integration Pet adoption services