Milwaukee -- Today the Wisconsin AFL-CIO announced its opposition to the proposed constitutional ban on civil unions and marriage. The Wisconsin Legislature recently approved the measure and placed it on the November statewide ballot.
"The mission of the AFL-CIO is to improve the lives of working
families—to bring economic justice to the workplace and social justice to our communities," said David Newby, President of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO. "Discrimination against persons because of their sexual orientation not only violates the basic concept of human rights, but it also translates into economic discrimination."
The Wisconsin AFL-CIO also cited the far-reaching consequences of the proposed ban. In states that have passed similar bans, domestic partner benefits negotiated by labor unions are being challenged in court. The Michigan Attorney General issued a memo calling on local government employers not to renew existing domestic partner benefits.
"Legal opinions indicate that this constitutional amendment will
adversely affect domestic partner benefits and probably make them illegal. Unions have negotiated domestic partner benefits for employees they represent," said Newby. "Domestic partner status provides employees crucial access to health care, family and medical leave, bereavement leave and other benefits. This applies to partner families that are heterosexual as well as committed gay and lesbian families. If unions and employers negotiate partners’ benefits, why should state government interfere?"
The State AFL-CIO is committed to educating its members about the harms of the civil unions and marriage ban and urging them to vote against it in November.
As the statewide coordinating council for all AFL-CIO unions in
Wisconsin, the State AFL-CIO determines union policy on state issues, speaks for labor (and for all working people) on matters of public concern, provides services to local unions, and coordinates political and legislative action with its 1,000 affiliated unions which represent 250,000 members in the state.
