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Remarks Delivered by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
Exemplary Voluntary Efforts (EVE) Award Ceremony
Frances Perkins Building
Washington, D.C.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Good morning! Thank you, Vicki [Lipnic, Assistant Secretary for the Employment Standards Administration], for that introduction. I am delighted to be here to help present these very special awards.
Let me start by thanking Vicki, Charles [James, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Employment Standards Administration and Director of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs], and the entire staff of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs for their dedication to ensuring equal opportunity and fairness in America's workplaces.
Today, the Department of Labor recognizes six organizations that have made a special commitment to ensuring equal opportunities in the workplace. In fact, they have exceeded the standards the Department enforces. And they are to be commended for their efforts.
One of America's greatest strengths is its diversity. The men and women who live and work here come from a variety of different cultures, races, and beliefs. And our workplaces, schools, and communities benefit from this blending of diverse cultures and ideas.
Each person has the potential to make a difference. And our country has benefited greatly from the emphasis on individual achievement and equal opportunity for all. It has helped our nation become the world economic leader that it is today. And as our nation becomes part of an increasingly worldwide economy, our diversity will strengthen our nation's economic security.
At the Department of Labor, protection of workers' rights — especially those workers in traditionally underserved communities — is a top priority.
Since 2001, the Department has increased by 55 percent the amount recovered from federal contractors on behalf of workers subjected to employment discrimination.
The Department also enforces our nation's wage and hour laws. From FY 2001-FY 2005, the amount the Department recovered in back wages for workers jumped by more than 25 percent. This included ten of millions of dollars recovered on behalf of workers in low-wage industries, many of whom are vulnerable immigrants.
The Department has also worked hard to provide clear and easy-to-access information on how to comply with federal employment laws, including anti-discrimination laws. For example, labor law materials have been translated into multiple languages, including Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean. And the Department has made an effort to reach out to previously underserved communities.
And the Department has published regulations to help clarify laws and improve enforcement mechanisms through the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994. This landmark law protects the employment and reemployment rights of our military service members and veterans.
The Department also launched the first Hispanic Worker Initiative. This program helps Hispanic American workers improve their English proficiency and gain the skills required in rapidly growing industries. And we partnered with Historically Black Colleges and Universities to help the African American community learn about new opportunities in the high-growth sectors of our economy. And the Department has reached out to the Asian Pacific American community in many forums to make them aware of these growth opportunities, as well.
The Department also takes seriously its obligation to set an example for private employers by ensuring equal access to employment opportunities and advancement in the federal workforce. So the Department sponsors a number of career advancement summits for traditionally underserved communities.
All of these enforcement and outreach initiatives are helping to ensure that equal employment opportunity is a reality in the workplace.
And that is what these awards are all about. The organizations recognized today have demonstrated a commitment to ensuring equal employment opportunities. They have created workplaces in which diversity is celebrated. And they recognize that diversity is a core value and a competitive advantage.
So to all of the award winners, thank you for all you do to help the American worker. And on behalf of the Department of Labor, congratulations!
It gives me great pleasure to present this final award, the Secretary of Labor's Opportunity Award. As you know, this honor is given to the federal contractor that has done the most to promote equal access to employment opportunity during the last fiscal year. It is the Department of Labor's most prestigious equal employment opportunity award.
And this year's recipient is well-deserving of this recognition. In addition to being a very good school, Texas A&M University is a great employer. And the Aggies' Chancellor, Robert McTeer, has demonstrated the University's commitment to ensuring equal opportunity. Since the Office of Equal Opportunity was established in 2002, the number of discrimination complaints filed with state and federal agencies system-wide has decreased by 60 percent. This is a tremendous achievement!
Texas A&M's vision is to become one of the ten best public universities in America by 2020. And one of the major imperatives of the university's plan is to diversify and globalize the A&M community. Among their many initiatives, the university provides all hiring managers with in-person and online training. The training offers strategies for increasing diversity in all aspects of hiring academic search committees, faculty, staff, and department leaders.
And Texas A&M deserves special recognition for reaching out to students in the Gulf Coast areas ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. Texas A&M gave 1,000 students from four-year colleges and universities in the Gulf area the opportunity to attend classes at Texas A&M for one year. The University also set aside $200,000 to provide these students with immediate resources, while making arrangements to ensure that longer-term financial assistance was available. This tremendous show of compassion enabled students from the Hurricane ravaged areas to continue their education immediately after the worst natural disaster our country has ever endured.
So on behalf of the Department of Labor, let me thank Texas A&M University for all it does to enhance opportunities for America's students and America's workers. Congratulations Aggies!
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