Remarks of Commissioner Paul Steven Miller

Commission Meeting on Federal Sector Reform
November 12, 2002

I want to thank Chair Dominguez for convening this Commission Meeting on the Federal Sector EEO Process.

The federal government has long aspired to be a model work place and a model employer. In order to be a model work place, the process by which federal employees address discrimination complaints must be efficient and expeditious, and fair at the same time. It must be a process that results in justice for those who have been the victims of discrimination, and one that ultimately succeeds in eliminating discrimination and its effects from the federal work place. Moreover, because federal workers do not have the advantage of filing complaints with our FEPA partners, nor have the EEOC to file litigation on their behalf, and they have less remedies available, we must recognize that processes which take into account these unique factors must be developed.

Over the past few years, the EEOC has taken a number of steps toward improvement of the federal sector EEO process, most notably in 1999 when we amended our federal sector regulations. Despite our continued efforts and the hard work of many dedicated professionals, there is widespread agreement that the federal sector EEO process can be improved further.

I view this Commission meeting as an opportunity to engage in an open dialogue about the way the federal sector EEO process works and the many potential suggestions for its improvement. I am grateful to all of you who have agreed to serve as panelists today, and to all of you who have presented -- and will present in the future -- your experiences and ideas to us as we embark on an analysis of the federal sector EEO process.

Input from our outside stakeholders across the spectrum, whether they be agency EEO directors, employee attorneys, organized labor, management, or civil rights organizations provide critical information for us to gain valuable insight into the problems we face, understand the impact of our decisions, and develop creative solutions. I view you as our partners in this endeavor, and I look forward to working with you as we turn our attention to these important issues.

This page was last modified on November 13, 2002.