Union Members Mobilized in Support of Nondiscrimination Bill

[Omaha Steve]

AFL-CIO Pride at Work link: http://prideatwork.org/page.php?id=5

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/09/19/union-members-mobilized-to-pass-non-discrimination-bill/

Donna Cartwright of Pride at Work, an AFL-CIO constituency group, reports on the union movement’s effort to support legislation banning employment discrimination based on sexual orientation.

While current federal law protects working people from firing or penalization based on race, religion, national origin, gender and/or physical ability, there is no federal law to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) workers from being victimized in the workplace. This means that in 31 states, it is legal to fire someone for being lesbian, gay or bisexual. In 39 states, it is legal to fire someone because they are transgender.

Now, efforts to outlaw such unfair treatment are gaining ground. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would make it illegal to discriminate against LGBT employees, is moving to a vote in the House of Representatives in the near future, and the union movement is making an unprecedented effort to support it. ENDA would prohibit organizations with 15 or more employees from discrimination in employment based on sexual orientation or gender identity. However, most religious organizations would be exempt from coverage.

The bipartisan chief sponsors of the bill include Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Deborah Pryce (R-Ohio), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Christopher Shays (R-Conn.). More than160 House members have signed on as co-sponsors.

Pride at Work is hard at work rallying unions behind ENDA. The results are impressive–13 national and international unions and the national AFL-CIO have endorsed the bill. But there is much more to do. Pride at Work is sponsoring a national Call-In Day to Silence Discrimination Sept. 20, when union members will pass out leaflets in their union halls and workplaces supporting the bill. On that day, you can call the congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 to show support for the bill. For more information on the Call-In Day, click here and here to send a message to your representative.

http://prideatwork.org/files/public/documents/leg.issues/CallInDay.pdf

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/pawenda

FULL story at link.

http://www.aflcio.org/aboutus/allies/constituencies.cfm




Cross posted in GLBT Forum.