The U.S. Department of Labor is honoring eight organizations for their workplace
programs and initiatives that increase equal employment opportunity for the
American workforce.
The department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) has
announced the recipients of three types of awards: the Secretary of Labor's
Opportunity Award, Exemplary Voluntary Efforts (EVE) Award, and Exemplary Public
Interest Contribution Award.
"These employers can take great pride in their efforts to provide women,
people of color, veterans, and people with disabilities access to equal employment
opportunities in our 21st Century workforce," says U.S. Secretary of Labor
Elaine L. Chao. "They lead by example in creating opportunities for all
and they inspire and enable people to pursue the American dream."
The Secretary of Labor's Opportunity Award, OFCCP's most prestigious honor,
was awarded to Cinergy Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio.
The three contractors receiving Exemplary Voluntary Efforts Awards for their
outstanding EEO programs were Entergy Corporation, New Orleans, Louisiana.;
Ivey Mechanical Company, Kosciusko, Missouri; and Pride Industries, Roseville,
California.
OFCCP also recognized four public interest organizations with Exemplary Public
Interest Contribution Awards for their support of federal contractors in their
equal employment opportunity (EEO) efforts. These organizations are typically
formed to help individuals with the least opportunities find and retain employment
and often align their efforts with federal contractors to further EEO in the
workplace.
The recipients were Alaska Works Partnership Inc., Anchorage, Alaska; Black
Veterans for Social Justice Inc., Brooklyn, New York.; Greater Sacramento Urban
League, Sacramento, California; and Life'sWork of Western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh.
OFCCP, an agency of the U.S. Labor Department's Employment Standards Administration,
enforces Executive Order 11246 and other laws that prohibit employment discrimination
by federal contractors. The agency monitors federal contractors to ensure that
they provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, gender,
color, religion, national origin, disability or veterans' status.