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Last month, the Michigan AFL-CIO co-sponsored the 25th anniversary Michigan Pride rally at the state capitol, standing up for the rights of our state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. It was a great celebration, with a lot of good discussion about the need to amend Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act.

Under current law, no one can be fired, denied housing or any public accommodation because of race, gender, religion or ethnicity, among other characteristics. But it’s legal, in most Michigan jurisdictions, to fire a person or evict someone simply because of his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.

It’s beyond obvious that a person’s private life has nothing to do with their ability to be a productive employee, a good tenant or to enjoy any other civil right. So it’s good news that the Legislature is considering proposals to add protections for LGBT citizens to Michigan law.

Similar legislation has been introduced before. This time, however, a significant sector of Michigan’s business community is backing the idea. Under the banner of the Michigan Competitive Workforce Coalition, many of Michigan’s top corporate leaders are saying that discrimination in any form is bad for business.

I don’t always agree with corporate executives. But in this case, I couldn’t agree more. Discrimination is not only unfair and un-American, it’s anti-competitive. It costs companies real money when they reject the talents of a potential worker just because he or she is gay, a person of color, or from a different country.

In fact, it’s working people and our unions who make our economy more competitive and more consistent with American values by fighting against discrimination in all its ugly forms. In 1975, members of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) at the University of Michigan negotiated a contract clause preventing discrimination against gay and lesbian employees.

Members of the United Food and Commercial Workers have added similar language to their contracts in Michigan, as did the United Auto Workers during 1999 negotiations with Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. And members of the Michigan Education Association now have inclusive non-discrimination clauses in more than 100 contracts across the state of Michigan.

Union members have a long record of moving faster and more effectively than business and political leaders on these issues. Civil rights for women and people of color didn’t become the law of the land until the 1960s. But non-discrimination clauses — with real enforcement — were a standard feature of union contracts for many years beforehand.

Equality under the law is essential. But it’s also worth remembering that in the workplace — where most of us spend a good chunk of our waking hours — there’s no better tool for fighting discrimination than a good union contract, a strong grievance procedure, and active members who support one another.

As a union member, I’m proud our labor movement is standing up for justice for LGBT citizens. As a Michigander, I’ll be proud when our entire state does the same. And I’m happy to work with labor, business, Republicans and Democrats to make it happen.

Labor Voices

Labor Voices columns are written on a rotating basis by United Auto Workers President Dennis Williams, Teamsters President James Hoffa, Michigan AFL-CIO President Karla Swift and Michigan Education Association President Steven Cook.

Karla Swift is president of the Michigan AFL-CIO.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140917/OPINION01/309170004/Unions-lead-way-equality-Michigan

UFCW OUTreach was proud to stand in solidarity with the United Latinos at their 2014 Education Conference. We have a shared agenda of:

Strong Unions
Good Wages & Benefits
Safe Workplaces
Comprehensive Immigration Reform
Employment Non-Discrimination

Together, we will fight for contracts and laws that treat all workers with dignity and respect regardless of age, race, gender, creed, color, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

UFCW OUTreach is a constituency group dedicated to building mutual support between our union’s International, regions, and locals and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) community and their allies in order to come together to organize for social and economic justice for all. Equality, education, understanding, and solidarity are our mission.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement in response to reports that President Obama plans to sign an executive order banning federal contractors from discriminating against workers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

“Denying someone a job or a promotion because of who they are runs counter to the American values of equality and opportunity. Yet in more than half of all states, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) workers can be targeted based solely on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

“An executive order banning federal contractors from this type of discrimination is a step in the right direction and could benefit as many as 16 million workers. But tens of millions of others still need the protections that can only come with adoption of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which passed the Senate on a strong bipartisan basis.

“At the UFCW, we have long been proud to have nondiscrimination language in our contracts. It is time for the law to catch up. The President is poised to act. The House should follow suit.”

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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, visit www.ufcw.org, or join our online community at www.facebook.com/UFCWinternational and www.twitter.com/ufcw.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Reps. Mark Pocan (D-WI), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), and Henry Waxman (D-CA), along with 114 of their House colleagues, today sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry and United States Trade Representative Michael Froman insisting the United States stop any further negotiations with the government of Brunei Darussalam on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement until Brunei addresses its human rights violations – part of its newly adopted a penal code.

The letter joins a growing coalition of groups that have called on the United States to stop trade negotiations until Brunei revokes its inhumane criminal code.

Full text of the letter is available here.

On June 28, 1969, members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community fought back against police brutality at a New York City gay bar called the Stonewall Inn. Known as the Stonewall riots, this marked the beginning of the modern day LGBT rights movement.

In commemoration of the historic Stonewall riots, June is now commonly recognized as LGBT Pride Month. Keep an eye out throughout the month for locals who will be holding events to celebrate the LGBT community.

This LGBT Pride Month, there is much to celebrate. Oregon and Pennsylvania recently became the 18^thand 19^th states to recognize marriage equality. The U.S. Senate passed legislation banning employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity by a wide, bipartisan margin. Finally, the UFCW formed its first ever LGBT constituency group—OUTreach. OUTreach will have a presence at World Pride in Toronto, Canada from June 27-29, 2014.

Still, there is much more to be done. It remains too easy to fire an LGBT worker without cause. Millions of same-sex couples do not have the legal rights as their opposite-sex counterparts. Transgender equality is lagging behind. Our broken immigration system is failing the LGBT community and tearing families apart. And the bullying epidemic is putting too many young people at risk.

Working in partnership with OUTreach, UFCW Locals are committed to leveling the playing field in our contracts and our laws. More than that, we are dedicated to winning hearts and minds. Let’s celebrate LGBT Pride Month by doing what we do best—fighting for fairness, justice, and equality.

Download The Toolkit Materials

• UFCW Pride 2014 Handout
• UFCW Pride OUTreach 8.5×11 Sign
• UFCW Pride OUTreach FB
• UFCW Pride Sample Newsletter
• UFCW Pride Tool Kit Flyer Masthead

Show your UFCW Union pride with us this year in Toronto at World Pride!

The weekend kicks off with a special event, hosted by UFCW Canada on Saturday, June 28, 2014 from 10 a.m.–4 p.m. at the Sheraton Centre Hotel in the Civic Ballroom and Foyer.

The World Pride Parade will be on Sunday, June 29 at 1pm starting at Bloor Street East at Church Street.

For more information about these events, and for a downloadable breakroom flyer, click here.

Today a contingent from UFCW OUTreach attended the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund annual champagne brunch in Washington D.C.

The UFCW was the first ever labor union to be a cosponsor of the event. Many of the speakers recognized and thanked the UFCW for its support.

International Vice President Steve Powell gave a great speech about the need for the labor and LGBT movements to work together.

“Our movements are fighting for the same things: equality, fairness, respect, and dignity,” he said.

He spoke of former Vice President Bill Olwell and the impact he was able to make by being out and proud.

It was a proud day for OUTreach and the entire UFCW.

Over the last two days, UFCW OUTreach held its second board meeting in Washington D.C.

The meeting included a busy and informative agenda.

On the first day, the group heard from Shane Larson, Co-President of Pride at Work who talked about the shared history of the labor and LGBT movements. He was followed by Sarah Reece of the Gay & Lesbian Taskforce who highlighted some of the pro-equality field work happening across the United States.

Members then had lunch with Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI), a member of the LGBT Equality Caucus and Co-Chair of the DCCC Labor Council. He talked about his commitment to passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), which would ban employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

After lunch, the group heard from Jason Burns of the Victory Fund who gave an overview of openly LGBT candidates that are running for office in 2014. Finally, Pride at Work Executive Director Darren Phelps offered guidance on creating LGBT education workshops for local unions.

On the second day,  board member Emmanuelle Lopez gave a presentation about World Pride in Toronto, Ontario. UFCW OUTreach plans to participate in the festivities this June.

The next board meeting is planned for June 27 in Toronto.             

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Joe Hansen, International President of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW), today released the following statement opposing Arizona Senate Bill 1062.

“I urge Governor Jan Brewer to veto SB 1062. It is nothing more than a hate bill passed under the guise of protecting religious freedom. The legislation was drafted so broadly as to allow discrimination against nearly any Arizonan on religious grounds. But make no mistake—its target is members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community. At a time when LGBT equality is advancing on several fronts, the Arizona legislature is seeking to relegate some of its citizens to second-class status. This is both shameful and unconstitutional. There is significant and growing momentum for equality across America on everything from employment nondiscrimination to the freedom to marry. Those who want to stop this momentum and protect the status quo are desperately trying to fight back. That is what SB 1062 and similar efforts are all about. At the UFCW, we have always been on the side of equality, both in our contracts and the law. We stand with business, labor, Republicans, and Democrats in calling for SB 1062 to be vetoed.”

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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, visit www.ufcw.org, or join our online community at www.facebook.com/UFCWinternational and www.twitter.com/ufcw.

Today UFCW Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin sent a letter to Arizona Governor Jan Brewer urging her to veto SB 1062.

Excerpts:

“SB 1062, for all its supporters might say, is little more than a sleight of hand trick designed to allow discrimination if not encourage it.

Are you going to tell Jews, Catholics, Mormons, or those who follow no religion that their beliefs or practices trample upon the “religious freedom” of someone else?

No. Of course not.”