Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Big labor urges NY to pass marriage equality


The New York State AFL-CIO is urging the Legislature is pass a bill that would allow same-sex couples in the state to marry.

It also wants lawmakers to enact legislation banning discrimination against transgender New Yorkers and provide a mechanism to end bullying and harassment of LGBT youth in public schools.
The call came in the form of three resolutions that passed without objection at the AFL-CIO’s annual convention.

“Beyond doing the right thing, there is a very basic need for us as union leaders to actually lead on these issues,” said AFL-CIO President Denis Hughes.

The Service Employees International Union, which is not part of the Federation, passed a marriage equality resolution in 2006.

The AFL-CIO vote brings to more than 2.3 million unionized workers in the state calling for the enactment of LGBT legislation.

“The assumption that some people make about organized labor being silent or opposed to LGBT rights is just wrong,” said Empire State Pride Agenda Executive Director Alan Van Capelle.

“Organized labor has been and continues to be a powerful and vocal partner in moving these three important bills in Albany,” he said.

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