Issues

November 2005

AFSCME women unite at Western Regional Conference!

The Western Regional Women's Conference was an outstanding success! The Women's Rights Department hosted the AFSCME Western Regional Women's Conference in San Jose, Ca., on November 4-6, 2005. The theme of the conference was, AFSCME Women: Building a Stronger Union. Over 750 women and men attended the conference representing 25 states including Alaska, Alabama Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.

The conference featured motivating presentations by Congresswoman Hilda Solis (District) and California State Senator Gloria Romero (32nd District). Ann Crittenden, author and reporter, encouraged conference participants by telling them that the skills gained through parenting were the very same skills necessary to be strong and effective leaders. Attendees were also motivated to build their leadership and activist skills by becoming Volunteer Member Organizers (VMOs) and running for elected political office. One very exciting panel highlighted women who are helping to build the union by serving as VMOs. Another panel highlighted the great work and determination of five women currently in political office, including three of our own AFSCME sisters: Louise Dodson, Local 685 California; Liz Larsen, Council 28 Washington; and Sheri Van Horsen, Council 9 Arizona!

There was also a special pre-conference institute, "Strategic Campaign Planning for Building a Stronger Union," for 62 women chosen through a separate application process. The institute was a tremendous success, and the graduates returned home prepared to take on challenging roles in political, organizing, legislative, collective bargaining and PEOPLE campaigns.

The entire staff of the AFSCME Women's Rights Department would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to all of the staff, volunteers and members who made this conference such a great success - with your commitment and dedication we can build a stronger union for all women!

Supreme Court nominee: A threat to women & working families

On October 31st, President Bush nominated Samuel A. Alito, Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Alito has served on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit since 1990. He has also worked at the Justice Department under the Reagan Administration, and served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. While Alito brings a significant amount of experience to the table, he has repeatedly ruled against cases involving employment discrimination and women's rights.

During his time serving on the 3rd Circuit, Alito heard a number of cases concerning race sex, age, and disability discrimination in employment. In several of these cases he ruled in favor of the employer, while the majority of his colleagues sided with the employee. In Sheridan v. E.I. DuPont Den Nemours and Company (1996), Alito went so far as to vote against the jury's consensus to convict the employer of blatant discrimination. Fortunately a majority of his colleagues agreed with the jury's decision, and the case was upheld. Alito's colleagues have even remarked that his opinions could destroy the employee protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.

Alito is also not a champion of women's rights. For example, in 1991 the Pennsylvania legislature passed a highly restrictive law that limited women's rights to abortion by requiring married women to wait 24 hours and receive detailed information about the development of their fetus before receiving an abortion. At the time, advocates for victims of domestic violence were very concerned that the final provision of the law could put victims at greater risk for abuse. When a court case, Planned Parenthood vs. Casey (1992), came before the 3rd Circuit, Alito was the only judge to support the controversial provision. He placed the rights and welfare of women secondary to the right of husbands to know about the actions of their wives. A year later, the law was stuck down by the Supreme Court with a strong majority vote of 6-3. One of the primary reasons was that law placed an undue burden on women because wives who are victims of violence or whose children are victims may have good reasons for not notifying their husbands about their intent to have an abortion. By forcing notification, many women and their children could be placed in harms way.

Alito's stance highlights his conservative record on women's issues, and is a far cry from Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's rulings in support of women's lives. In a series of documents released on his record, Alito's remarked, "I am particularly proud of my contributions in recent cases in which the government argued that... the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion."

In order to protect the livelihood of women and working families, it is critical that we speak out against the nomination of Judge Alito. The Senate hearing for Alito's nomination will take place on January 9th with a confirmation hearing expected to take place at the end of January. We encourage you to talk to your friends, families, and coworkers and reach out to your Senators in Washington. Tell them to protect the rights of women and working families and stop the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito!

Contact your senators. 

Women Organizing Women — pathways to success

In September, the Berger-Marks Foundation released a new report, Women Organizing Women: How do we Rock the Boat Without Getting Thrown Overboard, which reaffirms the critical role that women play in expanding the labor movement. The report emphasizes that if unions are serious about growing, they need to target unorganized women workers. Women now comprise 50 percent of the American workforce, and in recent years have been 55 percent of newly organized workers. It is critical for unions to develop targeted models and methods for engaging and organizing women workers. Moreover, to be successful, unions must build a skilled cadre of women organizers and put into place family-friendly policies to retain them.

Among the key findings highlighted, the report found that different methods and tactics are required to successfully organize women. While organizers noted that the occupation or industry served as the overarching guide for an organizing strategy, they also noted the importance of employing women-focused messages and methods that take into account women's role as primary caretakers. In addition, the report recommends several strategies for recruiting and retaining women organizers, including providing greater flexibility in scheduling, basing organizing campaigns locally, creating training and on-the-job mentoring programs, and creating more opportunities for union women to develop leadership skills to take on organizing duties.

For a full copy of this report, visit the Berger-Marks Foundation website. 

Exercise your rights: Support Title IX

When most people think about Title IX, they tend to think how it impacts equal opportunities for men and women in sports. However, while the law has provided great opportunities for women in sports, Title IX does so much more! Simply, Title IX requires gender equity for boys and girls, and men and women, in any educational program that receives federal funding.

This is critical to young women because it mandates that women will be given the same opportunities and access to education as male counterparts. Title IX also provides that men and women are treated equally throughout their educational experiences. For example, the law requires that pregnant women or students with children receive the same educational experiences as other students. In addition, under Title IX any form of sexual harassment that interferes with a student's educational experience is outlawed. Title IX also requires schools to take steps to prevent sexual harassment and address students' complaints.

Since its enactment, Title IX has brought respect and dignity to many young women pursuing an education and paved the way for their economic security and self-sufficiency. However, even today, many parts of the law are simply ignored or severely under-enforced. Did you know that 8 in 10 students experience some form of harassment during their school age years? Did you also know that there are far fewer women than men in math and science careers due in large part to the hostile educational environment many women face in these fields?

Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Education issued a crippling regulation to Title IX that allowed schools to forego equal athletic opportunities unless female students responded to an email survey citing their sports interests. In October, Senator Ted Stevens (R-AL) and Senator Pat Murray (D-WA) proposed an amendment to stop any taxpayer dollars from being used to support this harmful change. The amendment failed in the House of Representatives earlier this month, but the companion legislation in the Senate still awaits a vote.

We encourage you to take action and tell Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings in Washington, DC to strengthen Title IX and protect opportunities for educational success! Send her an online message today!

New book highlights women health workers

This year Public-Services International in collaboration with Unison UK published a new book, Who Cares? Women Health Workers in the Global Labour Market. The book presents living testimony from women health care professionals across the globe. Through personal stories the book discusses the impact of global inequalities and privatization on women's lives and the effects on quality public health services for all.

Get a free copy of Who Cares? Women Health Workers in the Global Labour Market. 

Administration playing politics with women's health

This month the Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report that explores the FDA's delay on the decision to make emergency contraception available over-the-counter. The report describes the delay as "unusual", especially because the FDA's panel of experts voted in favor of over-the-counter status by a margin of 23-4.

This report is another piece of evidence that the Bush Administration is putting their political agenda ahead of issues that are critical to women's health. In recent years, the Administration has supported the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act, which would allow hospitals, health care provides, and insurance companies to refuse to comply with existing law providing access to abortions, no matter how important the procedure may be to a women's health. In addition, the Administration has repeatedly under-funded critical family planning services to women and their families.

These issues address serious health concerns, and all women have the right to protect their health through preventative care or treatment. It's time for the Administration to stop playing politics with women's health and get serious about approving legislation that supports services and programs critical to women and families.

For more information on women's health issues, please visit the National Partnership for Women and Families.

WomENews is produced by the Women's Rights Department and written by Amy Vance.

 

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Mary Goulding
Council 40, Wisconsin

Mary Goulding

"AFSCME women are a force. We push hard for pay equity, economic security, funding for child care and on-the-job training. With our union, there is no stopping us!"