Union Members Mobilized in Support of Nondiscrimination 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.  

Pride at Work also is joining with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) to co-sponsor an advertisement this week in Roll Call magazine, a publication that is widely read on Capitol Hill, supporting the bill. As AFL-CIO President John Sweeney said when the bill was introduced: 

It is just plain wrong for anyone to discriminate against or fire a worker based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and this legislation gives Congress the chance to make such shocking discrimination illegal once and for all. Discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity is inconsistent with the principles of equal opportunity and equal employment that our movement has fought for.

With the passage of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers across this nation would have protection from workplace discrimination, protections that so many workers receive now only because of their union contracts.

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