U.S. Department of Labor Honors Organizations for
Creating Opportunities in the Workplace

WASHINGTON – For their efforts to foster workplace diversity, eleven companies and organizations were honored today by the U.S. Department of Labor at an annual awards ceremony hosted by the department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

Three awards—the Secretary of Labor’s Opportunity Award, Exemplary Volunteer Efforts (EVE), and Exemplary Public Interest Contributions (EPIC)—were presented to recognize excellence and leadership in the implementation of effective equal employment opportunity standards.

“Each of 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,” said U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. “They create opportunity in America’s workforce and serve as role models for employers across the country.”

Qualcomm Inc. received the Secretary of Labor’s Opportunity Award. This award, OFCCP’s top honor, is given to one federal contractor each year that has established and instituted comprehensive workforce strategies to ensure equal opportunity in the workforce.

Recipients of the EVE Awards, honoring federal contractors that have demonstrated exemplary and innovative equal employment opportunity programs, are: Buffalo Rock Company of Birmingham, Ala.; Kaiser Permanente (California Division) in Pasadena, Calif.; Kuharchik Construction Inc. of Exeter, Pa.; SeaWorld San Diego; and Valero Energy Corp of San Antonio, Texas.

The EPIC Awards honor public interest organizations that have supported equal employment opportunity and linked their efforts with those of federal contractors to enhance equal employment opportunity. Recipients are The Arc of San Diego; Central Alabama Opportunities Industrialization Center Inc. in Montgomery; Everywoman Opportunity Center Inc. of Buffalo, N.Y.; Goodwill Industries of North Georgia Inc. in Atlanta, and the Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service & Educational Center, Inc.

The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, part of the Labor Department’s Employment Standards Administration, administers laws and executive orders that ensure equal opportunity for workers employed by federal contractors.

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Archived News Release — Caution: Information may be out of date.