Sweeping Sex Discrimination Claims Filed Against Con Edison

September 21, 2007 -

 

Contact: Altagracia Dilon Levat
212.413.7510 or 347.739.7664
alevat@legalmomentum.org

Charge Filed Wth EEOC

NEW YORK, September 20, 2007 - Con Edison has a pattern or practice of discriminating against women by systematically denying them jobs, training, and promotional opportunities, according to a Charge of Discrimination filed yesterday with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Legal Momentum, the nation's oldest women's legal rights organization, filed the Charge on behalf of Sharron Sellick, one of the few women mechanics in Con Edison's 500-employee Maintenance and Construction Services Department. Despite a stellar performance record and being showcased on Con Edison's Web site as one of the "remarkable women who have chosen to pursue careers at Con Edison in €nontraditional' fields," Sellick has been denied promotion to supervisor three times. On each occasion, Con Edison promoted less qualified men instead.

The case alleges that Con Edison refused to promote Ms. Sellick because she is a woman, and because she spoke out on behalf of other women at Con Edison who experienced discrimination. It also alleges that Ms. Sellick's experience is part of a pattern or practice of sex discrimination in Ms. Sellick's department, and that Con Edison's Equal Employment Opportunity department looked the other way despite receiving numerous complaints about sex discrimination.

Although Con Edison wins awards for diversity in its corporate ranks, women comprise a tiny fraction of its utility workers and mechanics €“- jobs traditionally held by men. "This case illustrates that women are still subject to blatant discrimination in high-paying €non-traditional' fields," says Gillian Thomas, senior staff attorney with Legal Momentum's Equality Works program. "For too many of the women who do these jobs at Con Edison, the company's stated commitment to diversity is an empty promise."

About Legal Momentum
Founded in 1970, Legal Momentum is the nation's oldest legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing the rights of women and girls. With headquarters in New York City and offices in Washington, D.C., Legal Momentum has been a leader in establishing legal, legislative, and educational strategies to secure equality and justice for women across the country. Its public policy and litigation efforts focus on four areas that are of greatest concern to women in the United States: freedom from violence against women, equal work and equal pay; the health of women and girls; and strong families and strong communities.

About Equality Works Program
Legal Momentum's Equality Works Program advocates and litigates to get women trained, recruited, and hired for so-called "non-traditional jobs" (building trades, firefighting, etc.) and to help fight discrimination against women in these fields. It is important that women have equal access to careers in these fields because they offer high wages, generous benefits, flexible schedules, and are accessible without a college degree.