For Immediate Release
Monday, July 21, 1997
Media Advisory: AOC Employees File Class Action Lawsuit Against the Architect of the Capitol
Washington, DC —On Tuesday, July 22, Council 26 of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) will file a class action lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and a claim under the Equal Pay Act, on behalf of women custodians employed by the Architect of the Capitol. The suit charges the women were paid significantly less than their male co-workers for performing essentially the same work.
Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton said, "When I chaired the EEOC and administered the Equal Pay Act, I saw first-hand how women often work harder and longer to keep up with men’s wages. In 1995, Congress passed the Congressional Accountability Act to insure that the same laws apply to everyone else apply to Congress. This law suit shows the necessity of this standard in the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, where women are paid nearly a dollar an hour less than their male co-workers for doing work that is comparable in virtually every way."
AFSCME Council 26 represents over 7000 federal employees in a number of agencies, including the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the Corporation for National and Community Services, The Peace Corps, Voice of America, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Library of Congress and the Department of Justice. Last December, the union filed a discrimination complaint against the Architect of the Capitol with the Office of Compliance.
"Mediation with the Architect of the Capitol went nowhere," said Council 26 Executive Director Carl Goldman. "We were left with the option of filing more formal charges, or with taking the issue directly to the court. We think it’s in the best interest of the employees to settle the issue quickly, and we’re confident that filing suit is currently our best course of action."
| EVENT: | Press conference announcing Class Action Lawsuit against the Architect of the Capitol |
| DATE/TIME: | Tuesday, July 22, 1997 11:00 a.m. |
| LOCATION: | Rayburn House Office Building Room 2247 |
| SPEAKERS: |
D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton Carl Goldman, Executive Director Barbara Kraft, Esq. |
