The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union representing 600,000 federal and D.C. government workers nationwide and overseas, has launched a national campaign to increase awareness about the current state of the EEOC.
AFGE states that proposed budget cuts and staffing troubles resulting from the EEOC's reorganization plan are seriously weakening the agency's ability to enforce anti-discrimination laws, potentially putting the jobs of millions of Americans in danger.
The EEOC currently has a backlog of over 33,000 discrimination cases, a number projected to grow to over 47,000 in FY 2007. AFGE hopes the campaign will pressure legislators into increasing funding and staffing for the EEOC, allowing the agency to more effectively handle backlogged and future cases.
The campaign utilizes newspaper and radio advertising in several major media markets, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Miami, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. AFGE has also planned a June 13 press conference involving several civil rights organizations representing minority groups, the disabled, the elderly, women and the gay community.