U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Joins Colleagues to Call on EEOC to Address Rampant Sexual Harassment of Tipped Workers
Sexual Harassment Remains Persistent Problem for Tipped Workers, Particularly Women of Color
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin today joined 18 of her colleagues in sending a letter to Acting Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Victoria Lipnic requesting information on the commission’s efforts to address sexual harassment in the food and hospitality industries, which have high numbers of tipped workers. The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal workplace anti-discrimination laws and investigating discrimination charges that employees file with the commission. In fiscal year 2016 alone, the EEOC received close to 13,000 complaints involving sexual harassment.
“Sexual harassment is pervasive throughout the United States, and it does not discriminate by industry. Yet EEOC data shows that the ‘accommodation and food services’ industry—including restaurants and the hospitality industry—is particularly rife with harassment,” wrote the Senators. “Sexual harassment remains a persistent problem for American workers—particularly women and people of color.”
To better understand the EEOC’s ongoing efforts to address sexual harassment, the senators asked the EEOC to provide thorough answers on what the EEOC has done to identify, investigate, and limit sexual harassment in the workplace no later than January 5, 2018.
The letter was led by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and also signed by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
A copy of the letter is available here.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
Mentioned in This Press Release
Recent Press Releases by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin
Baldwin, Wied Kick Off Packers Season With Push to Ensure All Wisconsinites Can Watch Packers Games
Sep 4th, 2025 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinBaldwin’s bipartisan Go Pack Go Act would ensure Wisconsinites in remaining 13 Wisconsin counties would always have access to the Green and Gold
Baldwin Wraps Up “fighting for Wisconsin Families” Tour After Nearly 45 Stops
Aug 29th, 2025 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinIn month-long tour, Baldwin highlights work to lower costs as Republicans gut Medicaid and nutrition assistance and Donald Trump’s trade war drags on
Baldwin Calls Out Trump Firing Independent Railroad Regulator as Favor to Railroad Owners and Wall Street
Aug 28th, 2025 by U.S. Sen. Tammy BaldwinTrump fired Surface Transportation Board Member Robert Primus as Board weighs merger of two of the biggest railroad companies