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California Labor Federation Passes "No On Proposition 8 Resolution"
OAKLAND, CA – The California Federation of Labor voted yesterday to oppose a right-wing ballot initiative in that state that would deny lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) couples the right to marry, and committed resources to the fight against the measure.
Delegates to the state labor federation’s convention passed the resolution unanimously. It commits the federation to “educate and mobilize its members to vote against” the anti-marriage-equality initiative, and encourages its 23 central labor councils around the state to do the same. The resolution also specifies that the state federation will oppose the initiative in the “slate cards” that it distributes during the election campaign and in its voter guides.
The California labor federation has more than 1,200 affiliated unions, which represent more than 2.1 million workers in the state.
The initiative, called Proposition 8, which has qualified for a place on the general election ballot in November, would reverse the California Supreme Court’s landmark ruling in May, which said that the state could not deny LGBT couples the right to marry.
“I am deeply gratified that the California Federation of Labor has taken a strong stand in solidarity with LGBT workers,” Pride @ Work co-President T Santora, who submitted the resolution to the convention. Santora is also president of Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9000, based in Los Angeles, CA. “We are united against any effort to marginalize any of our members, including LGBT Americans.”
“We are grateful to all our brothers and sisters in the labor movement who have stood together with us in our struggle for equal rights,” said Pride @ Work co-President Nancy Wohlforth, who is Secretary-Treasurer of the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) and Vice President of the California federation.
Wohlforth worked with Santora and Pride at Work Program Director Sandra Telep to line up support for the convention resolution.
“In the labor movement, we believe that an injury to one is an injury to all,” Wohlforth said.
Click here for the text of the resolution.
For further information, please contact Pride at Work Executive Director Jeremy Bishop at 202-637-5014, or jbishop@aflcio.org, or Pride at Work Communications Director Donna Cartwright at 202-637-3988 or donnacartwright@earthlink.net.
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