NATIONAL COUNCIL OF EEOC L0CALS No 216, AFGE, AFL-CIO

Office of the President

c/o Denver District Office, EEOC

303 East 17^th Avenue, Suite 510, Denver, Colorado 80203

Tele: (303) 866-1337

Fax: (303) 966-1900

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                      Contact:        Gabrielle Martin

May 11, 2005                                                                                (303) 725-9079

                                                                                                    Rachel Shonfield

                                                                                                    (305) 496-7939

 

EEOC REFUSES TO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT

ON NATIONWIDE RESTRUCTURING OF OFFICES

 

This country’s commitment to civil rights affects everyone.  Unfortunately, to prevent the public from providing feedback on its proposal, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is bulldozing its nationwide restructuring plan through to a vote on May 16, 2005.  Confident that she has the necessary Commission votes, Chair Dominguez does not care what the public thinks.

 

Gabrielle Martin, President of the National Council of EEOC Locals, No. 216, AFGE/AFL-CIO spoke out against the EEOC’s intent to freeze out the public.  “Today EEOC released partial details of a plan that downgrades field offices and restricts access for victims of discrimination across from the country.  EEOC’s leadership demonstrates once again that it does not care what the civil rights community has to say about its plans.  EEOC’s shotgun scheduling of a vote to overhaul the Commission’s current office structure exemplifies its lack of caring.”  The “public meeting” scheduled for the afternoon of Monday May 16, 2005, prohibits the public from testifying.  Martin stressed that it is fully within the EEOC’s power to open up the process.  “The Union calls upon the EEOC to reschedule the meeting until the civil rights community has been given the plan and provided adequate opportunity to testify.  With the stroke of a pen, the Commission can change the forum to a ‘public hearing,’ which invites the public to testify and provide written comments.”

 

According to those portions of the plan revealed to the Union, the agency is downgrading one third of its district offices.  What the agency will not reveal is the future of the downgraded offices and the smaller area and local offices, currently part of EEOC’s structure.  “EEOC has lost over 500 employees or 15% of its staff since Chair Dominguez was appointed.  This plan does not address staffing losses, which the agency admits are resulting in an exploding backlog of cases.  Moreover, the implication is that the downgraded and smaller offices will continue to be starved of staff and resources until they die on the vine.”

 

Martin says that “the handwriting is on the wall.  Shrinking offices means EEOC continues to shrink enforcement of civil rights.  The actions of this EEOC administration indicate a lack of commitment to EEOC’s historic mission to assure that all citizens get a fair shot in the workplace.”