A proposed settlement has been reached in an equal employ- ment class action brought on behalf of African American employees of the Library of Congress. The Complaint in this class action alleged racial discrimination in competitive and noncompetitive promotions and personnel actions in or into professional and administrative jobs. The case is captioned Cook v. Billington, C.A. No. 82-0400 (NHJ/PJA). The plaintiff- class certified by the District Court on Dec. 13, 1988 is as follows:
All past, present and future black employees at the Library of Congress who possess the minimum objective qualifications necessary to be eligible under valid, nondiscriminatory standards for selection or promotion to any professional or administrative position at the Library of Congress, and who have been, are being, or may in the future be, denied equal employment or promotional opportunities as a result of defendant's discriminatory practices complained of herein.
December 13, 1988 Opinion at 3. The plaintiff-class also in- cludes all members of the 4(a) Subclass certified by the Court on June 8, 1984 as:
All past, present and future black employees at the Library of Congress ... who were not promoted to positions by reason of the Library of Congress Regulations, section 4(a).
June 8, 1984 Opinion at 3-4. If you fall within either, or both, of the descriptions quoted above and you were employed by the Library of Congress on or after Nov. 25, 1975, this proposed settlement may affect you.
The proposed Settlement Agreement provides significant monetary relief as well as injunctive measures to ensure equity in promotions, competitive selections and other employment practices. The Agreement includes a provision for independent review of the Library's competitive selection process by the Office of Personnel Management and other monitors to ensure that the process is fair and equitable. The Agreement will give representatives of the plaintiff-class the opportunity to meet with the Librarian and/or Deputy Librarian at least twice annually throughout the duration of the Agreement. It also provides a limited number of promotion and career development opportunities for members of the class.
Questions regarding class membership and distribution of relief will be decided by a Committee composed of up to 13 class members.
IF YOU BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED ABOVE, YOU MUST NOTIFY THE COMMITTEE BY SENDING YOUR NAME, HOME ADDRESS, HOME TELEPHONE NUMBER AND OFFICE TELEPHONE NUMBER TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
MARC L. FLEISCHAKER, DAVID L. KELLEHER, MINDY L. KLASKY
Arent Fox Kintner Plotkin & Kahn
1050 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20036
ATTENTION: COOK CLASS ACTION
YOUR NOTICE MUST BE RECEIVED BY NOV. 16, 1994.