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“UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA RECOGNIZED BY SECRETARY OF LABOR FOR EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EFFORTS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1468 on Sept. 13, 2000.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA RECOGNIZED BY SECRETARY OF LABOR FOR EQUAL
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EFFORTS
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HON. TOM LANTOS
of california
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, September 13, 2000
Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Union Bank of California on receiving the Secretary of Labor's Opportunity 2000 Award. This award is presented annually by the U.S. Labor department's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs to Federal contractors and public interest groups with exceptional equal employment opportunity programs. The Union Bank of California has been selected for its programs for hiring and promoting women, minorities and those with disabilities.
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted that Labor Secretary Alexis M. Herman has recognized Union Bank of California for its efforts. I join her in commending Union Bank on this long history of service, and I congratulate the Bank and its officers on receiving the Opportunity 2000 award for outstanding leadership in its equal opportunity programs.
Mr. Speaker, since its founding in San Francisco on July 5, 1864, Union Bank has made it its business to be more than just a successful bank; it has sought to be an integral contributor in advancing our common interests. This sense of community service took its earliest form in developing the infrastructure and trade of the West coast in the late 19th century. Union Bank helped fund the completion of the coast-to-coast railroad; it invested in early exploration of Alaska leading to its purchase by the U.S.; it financed the building of California's first large-scale Central Valley irrigation project; and it negotiated trade between the United States and Japan. These achievements demonstrate that the Union Bank of California has, from the beginning, had its priorities rooted the welfare of the public.
And, it is clear from its receiving the Opportunity 2000 award, that those priorities have not changed. Today, Mr. Speaker, Union Bank's commitment to a better future is founded in its belief in the value of a diverse workforce. This has literally shaped the entire nature of the company, from its board of directors to entry-level employees. Boasting 7 minorities out of 17 members on its board of directors, Union Bank has quadrupled the number of women and doubled the number of minorities since 1996. These efforts by Union Bank represent a unique commitment in corporate America that it makes both good business sense and good moral sense to strive for including all in employment opportunities.
Takahiro Moriguchi, President and CEO of Union Bank of California, expressed the Bank's enlightened view: ``By searching for talent from among the disabled, both genders, veterans, all ethnic groups and all nationalities, we gain access to a pool of ideas, energy and creativity as wide and varied as the human race itself. I expect diversity will become even more important as the world gradually becomes a truly global marketplace.'' This type of leadership and this kind of vision have earned Union Bank the top position in Fortune Magazine's listing of ``The 50 Best Companies for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics.''
Union Bank is clearly a trend setter, and I hope it can serve as inspiration and motivation to the rest of corporate America to realize how aggressively promoting equal employment opportunity programs is in the best interests of both corporate and non-corporate America.
Mr. Speaker, Union Bank has always been focused on the betterment of society, whether it be the development of the infrastructure and trade in the west or the development of equal opportunity programs that help unleash the talent of a workforce previously held back by discrimination. Union Bank should be commended for this dedication to social progress, and I congratulate the bank and its officers upon receiving Secretary of Labor Herman's Opportunities 2000 Award.
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