National Council of EEOC Locals, No. 216

 AFGE, AFL-CIO

c/o Denver District EEOC Office

303 East 17th Avenue, Suite 510

Denver, Colorado    80203

Telephone 303.866.1337

September 10, 2004

 

Chair Cari Dominguez

Vice Chair Naomi Churchill Earp

Commissioner Leslie E. Silverman

Commissioner Stuart J. Ishimaru

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission

1801 L Street, N.W., 10th Floor

Washington, D.C.  20507

 

Re:          EEOC’s Failure to Provide Reasonable Notice of Commission Meeting

 

Dear Chair Dominguez, Vice Chair Earp, Commissioners Silverman and Ishimaru: 

 

I have unofficially learned that the EEOC now intends to conduct a Commission Meeting on September 17, 2004, regarding a vote to implement a privatized national call center.  I applaud the Commission for heeding the Union’s request to call a public meeting.  However, the Union’s request also included a caution that the Commission provide “sufficient notice to interested parties who would want to attend and prepare testimony.”   The Agency’s shotgun scheduling of this meeting will not allow for meaningful public participation and does not conform with its obligations under the Government in Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552(b)).   Finally, scheduling the meeting on the Jewish High Holy Day of Rosh Hashana will further limit attendance.

 

The Sunshine Act requires that an Agency “shall make public announcement, at least one week before the meeting.”  As of the writing of this letter, the Commission meeting is not posted on the EEOC website.  A check of the Federal Register “hot off the press” page indicates that notice of the September 17 meeting will post on September 14.  Three days notice hardly allows for parties to learn of the meeting and prepare testimony.  Furthermore, interested parties will likely be traveling to the meeting from outside the D.C. area.  Such short notice will make it difficult and costly for individuals to make timely travel arrangements.

 

Therefore the Union respectfully requests that the Agency reschedule the meeting and provide the public with reasonable notice of the new date.  The agency’s refusal to reschedule will confirm that the Call Center decision is preordained and the rushed hearing is merely a sham.

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Gabrielle Martin

President, National Council of EEOC Locals, No. 216