2003

WHEREAS, organized labor joined its allies in the civil rights movement to secure passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; and

WHEREAS, the union movement has fought long and hard to end discrimination and to bring real equality to the workplace as well as in housing, credit, public accommodations and public services; and

WHEREAS, the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO and its affiliates have been in the forefront of efforts to strengthen and expand nondiscrimination guarantees and to increase penalties and remedies for violations of the laws; and

WHEREAS, despite the decades-long application of civil rights guarantees and despite real gains in workforce participation and opportunities for women, people of color and more recently people with disabilities and older workers; discriminatory employment practices and shocking inequality persist.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that, the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO reaffirms its commitment to fight against and eradicate workplace discrimination once and for all and to use the collective power and voice of the union movement to ensure equal opportunity for all workers in Maryland and the District of Columbia; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO and its affiliates will fight for passage of stronger equal pay laws at the federal and state level and call for stringent regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and other anti- discrimination laws; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Maryland State and District of Columbia AFL-CIO calls upon its affiliates to represent union members and other workers in lawsuits challenging discrimination in hiring, promotion, pay and other terms of employment; and protests personnel actions taken against workers merely on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Maryland State and district of Columbia AFL-CIO will serve as public watchdogs to make sure that state agencies continue to enforce full protections for workers in Maryland and the District of Columbia under all employment and labor laws.

Submitted by:

Fred Mason, President, MD and DC AFL-CIO

Nancy Wohlforth, Co-President, Pride At Work

WHEREAS, the strength of the labor movement has long been its ability to bring together diverse people around a common goal – that of improving the lives of workers; and

WHEREAS, each and every union has lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members; and

WHEREAS, our members in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community are often among our most committed and active trade unionists; and

WHEREAS, in 1997 the National AFL-CIO formally recognized the “Pride at Work” organization as an official constituency group; and

WHEREAS, the strength of Pride at Work lies in its local chapters, each of which is encouraged to affiliate with their Central  Labor Council.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that each central labor council in Maryland and the District of Columbia is strongly encouraged to support the formation of “Pride at Work” chapters in their jurisdictions.

Submitted:  Fred Mason, President, MD and DC AFL-CIO

Nancy Wohlforth, Co-President, Pride At Work

As trade unionists, we believe in inclusion and equality. While great strides have been made in recent years, basic rights remain unsecured and virulent right-wing homophobia remains commonplace.

On June 26, 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Texas’s “Homosexual Conduct” law, which criminalized consensual sex between gay couples and has been widely used to justify discrimination against lesbians and gay men. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy reiterated a previous court position, “Our obligation is to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code.”

The 6-3 decision in Lawrence v. Texas is the most significant ruling ever for lesbian and gay Americans’ civil rights. This historic case recognizes that love, sexuality and family play the same role in gay people’s lives as they do for everyone else. It has also accelerated important discussions in America about the definition of family, marriage, and equal rights for all.

Not surprisingly, the radical right, led by dissenting Justice Antonin Scalia, is now engaged in a vengeful backlash against progress for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans. A coalition of right-wing religious groups has launched a campaign to amend the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as strictly between a man and a woman, invalidate all state and local domestic partnership laws and nullify civil rights protections based on marital status, thus discriminating against groups of citizens.

Everyone has the right to participate fully and equally in our society and to enjoy the benefits and freedoms thereof. Unions have been a leading voice in ending discrimination through groundbreaking contracts that have paved the way for thousands of workers to receive domestic partner benefits for their families.

Resolved: Pride At Work calls upon our elected representatives at all levels of government to resist enacting further barriers to equal rights under the U.S. Constitution.

Resolved: Pride At Work calls upon the AFL-CIO, its affiliates, and independent labor organizations to adopt such a policy position.

Respectfully submitted,

T Santora
Pride At Work Executive Board (CWA Representative)
Baltimore-Washington Chapter