Formation 1974 Founded 1974 | Website www.equalrights.org | |
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Similar East Bay Community Law Center, National Women's Law Center, National Center for Lesbian, California Rural Legal Ass, Mexican American Legal Def Profiles | ||
Equal Rights Advocates (ERA) is a non-profit women's rights organization that was founded in 1974. ERA is a legal organization dedicated to protecting and expanding economic and educational access and opportunities for women and girls.
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The organization specializes in advocating for the rights of women in minimum wage jobs, women of color, and immigrant women. ERA is based in San Francisco and led by executive director Noreen Farrell.
Major initiatives and involvement
In May 2012, ERA represented a female, Spanish-speaking janitor in Bojorquez vs. ABM Janitorial Services. A San Francisco jury awarded $812,000 to ERA's client, Maria Bojorquez, who faced sexual harassment and retaliation.
In May 2012, ERA released a groundbreaking report on pregnancy accommodation law: Expecting A Baby, Not A Lay-Off: Why Federal Law Should Require the Reasonable Accommodation of Pregnant Workers. ERA is a main proponent of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.
In February 2012, ERA reached a 1.3 million dollar settlement with UC Davis in a Title IX case ERA filed in 2001 on behalf of UC Davis female wrestlers.
In June 2011, Equal Rights Advocates was among the co-counsel (including the Impact Fund, Cohen Milstein Sellers Toll, PLLC, and other firms) representing Betty Dukes and women Wal-Mart plaintiffs across the county in the historic Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores class action. Dukes v. Wal-Mart was a class action sex discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores challenging its policies and practices of denying equal pay and promotion opportunities to its female workforce. The Supreme Court's ruling against the lawsuit has had a lasting legacy in class action litigation.
National Free Legal Advice & Counseling Hotline
Established in the early 1980s, ERA's Advice & Counseling (A&C) Program consists of three components: a toll-free, multi-lingual hotline; Know Your Rights brochures; and in-person trainings. The A&C hotline is staffed by law clerks who receive training and supervision from ERA attorneys. ERA serves over a thousand callers each year, providing legal assistance and tracking trends that need immediate redress. The hotline phone number is 800-839-4ERA (4372).