M E D I A A D V I S O R Y

EEOC CHAIRWOMAN TO MEET           WITH COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS IN ARIZONA

PHOENIX - Ida L. Castro, Chairwoman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), will be in Phoenix March 23-24 to meet with community and business leaders to discuss strategies for creating discrimination-free workplaces and to encourage voluntary compliance with the laws enforced by the EEOC.  It is her first visit to Arizona as head of the agency and is among a number of agency office visits scheduled nationwide to commemorate the EEOC's 35th anniversary.

Chairwoman Castro said, "I am here to commemorate the many paths to opportunity opened by the EEOC since its landmark beginning in 1965.  I will share these reflections with a number of groups and individuals with a stake in the EEOC's work and learn about what we can do collaboratively to make the future successes in equal employment opportunity worthy of its past struggles."  She continued:  "Although the EEOC's mission  to rid the nation of employment discrimination  has remained constant over the agency's 35 years of operation, the vigorous measures we are taking to ensure that everyone understands their rights and responsibilities under our laws is proving invaluable to our overall enforcement efforts"

Since her tenure began in October 1998, Ms. Castro has focused on expanded outreach, education, and technical assistance to a broad range of agency stakeholders and solicited their feedback on EEOC enforcement operations. For example, she has placed special emphasis on direct communication with small businesses and under-served communities to maximize collective efforts to prevent discrimination and enhance efficiency and fairness in addressing discrimination when found.

Prior to arriving in Phoenix, Ms. Castro will be in Tucson to address the American Bar Association's Equal Employment Opportunity Committee's 2000 Winter Meeting on Wednesday, March 22.  In Phoenix on Thursday, March 23, she will be the luncheon speaker at a meeting of Los Abogado, the Hispanic Bar Association, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, 100 N. First Street. Throughout the day she will attend meetings with plaintiff and employer attorneys, advocacy groups, and business representatives to exchange ideas on strengthening local enforcement actions, increasing education, and providing improved customer service in Arizona.

The EEOC's Phoenix District Office, which has an extensive outreach and education program that reaches workers and businesses in outlying communities, has jurisdiction over federally filed employment discrimination charges in Arizona and Utah.  Approximately 2,400 charges are filed with the office each year.  Significant cases resolved recently by the Phoenix office have included an age discrimination case against AlliedSignal, which settled for $8 million, and a class action sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit against Southwest Supermarkets settled for $1 million.

The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability in the private sector and state and local government.  Further information about the agency is available at www.eeoc.gov.