Two upcoming fights in California offer an opportunity to strengthen the coalition between the LGBT community and the labor movement: the upcoming marriage equality battle and the Employee Free Choice Act.
Marriage equality activists and the LGBT community must step up their support for EFCA over the next month and help win the support of Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California). EFCA is the single most important piece of legislation for labor in decades, passage will make it easier for working people to organize into unions, and raise families – gay and straight alike – out of poverty and into the middle class. Labor has already shown its support for marriage equality during the last election, and we will need union members even more for our upcoming battle at the ballot box.
Last year, the California Federation of Labor, representing every union in the state, not only opposed Proposition 8, but also donated heavily to the No on 8 campaign. Labor understands that marriage equality is an essential component of basic dignity and human rights for thousands of LGBT union members.
While labor's support was strong, we will need even more support if we expect to win the next battle. Many in the community felt that at least two of the reasons we lost Prop 8 last fall was because the outreach to communities of color was weak, and the field effort was nearly non-existent. Both are areas in which labor is powerful, and could provide the margin of victory.
But more importantly, it is in the best interests of the LGBT community. Recently, the Williams Institute at UCLA released a new report that undertakes the first analysis of the poor and low-income lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender population. The report found:
� After adjusting for a range of family characteristics that help explain poverty, gay and lesbian couple families are significantly more likely to be poor than are heterosexual married couple families.
� Notably, lesbian couples and their families are much more likely to be poor than heterosexual couples and their families.
� Children in gay and lesbian couple households have poverty rates twice those of children in heterosexual married couple households.
A survey of median weekly earnings in 2007 revealed that union workers make 30 percent more than their nonunion counterparts, and are 59 percent more likely to have employer-provided health coverage than other workers. Being part of a union clearly means higher wages and benefits, something that those in poverty within our community desperately need, particularly in these difficult economic times.
Under EFCA, if the National Labor Relations Board finds that a majority of employees have signed written authorization forms designating the union as their collective bargaining representative, the union is certified.
Opponents of majority signup often argue that EFCA will deprive workers of their right to a so-called secret ballot. In fact, right now labor law allows both the secret ballot election and a majority signup. But the choice is left to the employer. EFCA preserves both options, but it rightly places that choice in the hands of workers instead of their bosses. Moreover, the history of these secret ballot elections shows that they are often anything but democratic. Too often employers use their power over unorganized employees to intimidate them into voting against the union. Such documented employer tactics have included mandatory attendance at anti-union meetings, one-on-one meetings, threats to close the business if the union wins the vote, and harassing or even firing workers engaged in organizing activity. EFCA, with majority signup, could prevent all of this, and bring those in our community out of poverty and help rebuild the middle class.
Facing powerful corporate pressure, Feinstein has backed off from her previous support for EFCA. Her vote is critical to stop a Republican filibuster. Feinstein understands that the LGBT community is an important part of her constituency, we must impress upon her that this essential labor law is in the interests of our community. This is a moment of truth for our leaders, and all of us, to help ourselves and other workers get to the right answer. San Francisco Pride at Work will be at a vigil supporting EFCA outside of the Federal Building on Wednesday, May 6 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the corner of Mission and 7th streets. Join us at the vigil and urge Feinstein to vote for EFCA!
Cleve Jones and Robert Haaland are both longtime labor activists.