[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 107 (Wednesday, September 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1468]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  UNION BANK OF CALIFORNIA RECOGNIZED BY SECRETARY OF LABOR FOR EQUAL 
                     EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EFFORTS

                                 ______
                                 

                            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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