Union Members Stand Up in Defense of Transgender Rights
Editors Note: We’re all watching with horror at what is happening to our queer family members in the USA. But movements are rising and people are taking a stand. When articles like this come by our desk, we will print.
SAN DIEGO, CA — On Friday, March 21, executive board members of OUTreach, the constituency group for Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (2SLGBTQ+) community members and allies who are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union, voted unanimously to take a vocal stand in solidarity with the transgender community. The vote, which was taken at their biannual convening, comes amidst a concerning influx of attempts across North America to limit, revoke, and erase the rights and contributions of transgender people.
The UFCW OUTreach executive board, which is comprised of union members from UFCW Locals throughout the United States and Canada, released the following statement as a result of the unanimous vote:
“North America’s Labor Movement was founded on the principle that collective action is the ultimate tool to deliver justice. Guided by this fundamental truth since our chartering in 2013, it has been our singular focus at UFCW OUTreach to uplift and unite ALL working people, regardless of who they love, how they identify, or where they were born.
As trade unionists, we feel a deep sense of urgency to speak out in support of all transgender and gender non-conforming people in our shared fight for dignity and respect on the job. Labor unions exist to protect, support, and empower anyone who wants to improve their working lives, and that must always include our transgender brothers, sisters, and siblings.
We strongly condemn attempts at all levels of government to disenfranchise trans people by restricting their access to healthcare, criminalizing which bathroom or locker room they use, and erasing their contributions to our communities. Rhetoric which seeks to demonize their existence and deny their basic freedoms has no place in our politics, in our workplaces, or in our Labor Movement.
We are hopeful that leaders in elected office will wield their power to protect the transgender community from these attacks and will continue to take any opportunity to utilize our political clout as union members to urge their action. However, we know that the best way to improve our quality of life and ensure our safety at work is by organizing strong unions and negotiating fair contracts.
UFCW OUTreach is working in conjunction with our international union to make this possible by creating template contract language for local unions to use that help keep trans workers safe, healthy, and respected at work. We also are committed to providing training to our fellow union members that help make our local unions effective advocates for 2SLGBTQ+ workers.
We will not be erased by the stroke of a pen, and we will never go down without a fight.”
Learn more about how to start a union in your workplace at ufcw.org/start-a-union.
OUTreach is a constituency group of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) International Union, dedicated to ensuring the full equality for 2SLGBTQ+ workers on the job and in their unions. UFCW represents 1.3 million essential workers in retail, food processing, healthcare, cannabis, and many other industries across North America.
