EEOC TO HOST SERIES OF TOWN HALL MEETINGS ON FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EEO PROCESS

*** Public Forums To Be Held In St. Louis, Los Angeles, and                       Washington, D.C. ***

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced today that it will hold three town hall meetings in major cities across the country to discuss recent and on-going reforms to the Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint process for federal employees.  The public meetings are part of the Commission's comprehensive enforcement efforts to improve overall operations and reach out to agency stakeholders at the grassroots level.

"Protecting federal workers from discrimination on-the-job is one of this Administration's highest priorities in the area of civil rights enforcement," said EEOC Chairwoman Ida L. Castro. "We look forward to hearing from the public about the Commission's ongoing efforts to eradicate workplace bias in the federal government and make the EEO process fairer and more efficient for federal employees and agencies alike."

The EEOC-sponsored town hall meetings will take place from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on the following dates: today, March 22 in St. Louis; Wednesday, April 5 in Los Angeles; and Tuesday, April 25 in Washington, D.C.  The public meetings will focus on recently implemented regulations (29 C.F.R. Part 1614) designed to reform and streamline the federal sector EEO process, as well as a new interagency federal sector task force led jointly by the EEOC and Vice President Gore's National Partnership for Reinventing Government (NPR).

"These town hall meetings will help foster a constructive and open dialogue between staff of the EEOC and those individuals with a vital interest in preventing and remedying employment discrimination at federal agencies," Ms. Castro added.

Participants at the town hall meetings are expected to include representatives of the private bar, unions, civil rights advocacy groups and community organizations, as well as federal employees and managers.

"These town hall forums present a unique opportunity for participants to meet with and receive feedback from EEOC staff with expertise in the federal EEO complaint process," said Carlton M. Hadden, Acting Director of EEOC's Office of Federal Operations. "Engaging in a collaborative and broad discussion of these important EEO issues will benefit all parties."

Since becoming EEOC Chairwoman in October 1998, Ms. Castro has led an unprecedented effort to improve the federal government's EEO complaint process by increasing its fairness, effectiveness, and efficiency, while consulting broadly with agency stakeholders. Some of the groundbreaking measures the EEOC has implemented under her leadership include the following:

• In July 1999, the EEOC announced the issuance of new 1614     regulations to streamline the EEO complaint process.  The     changes, which became effective November 9, 1999, advance the     Administration's NPR goals of cutting red tape, removing     unnecessary layers of review, and delegating decision-making     to front-line employees.
• In August 1999, Chairwoman Castro announced a comprehensive     enforcement initiative for the federal sector program.  The     initiative provides a strategic approach to federal sector     reform by linking improved data analysis, prevention     activities aimed at the root causes of discrimination, and a     streamlined process for addressing EEO complaints.
• In September 1999, the EEOC announced a dynamic national     training program on the revised 1614 regulations entitled The     New Federal EEO Complaint Process and You. The sold-out     training seminars were held at a over a dozen locations     nationwide.
• In October 1999, the EEOC and NPR launched a joint Interagency     Task Force on the Federal Sector to examine how to enhance the     federal EEO process and stimulate change that will prevent     discrimination in the first instance.  Members of the task     force include representatives of the EEOC, NPR, Cabinet     departments and agencies, stakeholder groups, federal employee     unions, and other organizations.  A preliminary status report     is expected to be issued this summer.

Space is limited. Registrations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. To reserve a seat, please complete the RSVP form.

The EEOC is the independent federal agency which enforces laws prohibiting employment discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, the Equal Pay Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1991.  Further information about the Commission is available on the agency's web site at www.eeoc.gov.