Sen. Elizabeth Warren on Friday unveiled a series of executive actions she says she would take as president to boost the standing of minority women in the workplace.
“For decades, the government has helped perpetuate the systemic discrimination that has denied women of color equal opportunities,” the 2020 Democratic presidential contender said in a Medium post. “It’s time for the government to try to right those wrongs — and boost our economy in the process.”
Ms. Warren said she would restrict federal contracting opportunities for companies with poor track records on “diversity and equal pay.”
She would also require federal contractors to pay a $15 minimum wage and restrict the use of forced arbitration and non-compete clauses she says restricts workers’ rights.
Ms. Warren would also ban federal contractors from asking about past salary information and criminal histories.
The senator also said she wants to direct more resources to recruiting applicants for the federal government from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), create new paid fellowship programs for minority and low-income applicants, and require every federal agency to “incorporate diversity as part of their core strategic plan.”
Ms. Warren said she would also direct the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to more closely police sectors like the service industry to make sure discrimination isn’t going on.
She called the executive actions “just a first step.”
“We need to do much more to make sure that women of color have a fair shot at opportunity and financial security,” she said. “It’s time to build an America that recognizes the role that women of color play in their families and in the economy, that fairly values their work, and that delivers equal opportunity for everyone.”
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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