Issues

September 2003

Eastern Regional Women's Conference

The department is now preparing for the Eastern Regional Women's Conference, which will be held in Boston Massachusetts, from November 20-23 at the Sheraton Boston. This will be an expanded version of the Western Regional Conference held in San Francisco in June. This conference was a huge success and we are all looking forward to Boston. There will be expanded time for workshops, exciting plenaries, a reception and plenty of time to explore Boston. It is a great opportunity for us to expand our skills and network with other AFSCME women leaders. Look for registration forms to be on the AFSCME website by early October.

Department Update

The Women's Rights Department is working with New York AFSCME Local 2343 to include contraceptive coverage in the health plan of its members. Contraceptive equity is an important issue for women who currently spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men, mainly due to reproductive health prescriptions and services. While insurance companies have excluded contraceptives, Viagra was covered almost immediately.

The department has drafted a demand letter for Local 2343 to submit to the Town of Cortlandt. We are optimistic that Local 2343 will soon have contraceptive coverage, and we continue to look for other contracts and cases that can easily be resolved to include it.

The department is working with EMILY's List as well as Gov. Bill Richardson's Moving America Forward in developing and implementing a curriculum for a series of political training that will take place in four Southwestern states (Arizona, New Mexico, California, Nevada) and Florida. The purpose of the initiative is to promote political action among Latinas. Participants will be recruited from a number of community organizations and labor unions, including AFSCME. The training will include topics on building political leadership, fundraising, public speaking, and media relations and other basics of running for office. The first training is scheduled for September 26-27 in Albuquerque and is being hosted by Governor Richardson.

Women May Swing the California Recall Election

The recall election in California will have an impact on us all, even if we are not California residents. This is the first recall election since the 1930's and is bound to have an impact on politics and policy throughout the nation. Women's lives are at risk if a conservative governor takes over California and many are speaking out against the recall.

Women's Enews recently reported that women leaders, democratic leaders and pro-choice organizations are working to mobilize women voters to vote no on the recall. Issues such as abortion, the environment, education and gun safety are all at risk in California if a conservative Governor takes office. Women and women's organizations are supporting Govoner Davis and pointing to his record on providing six weeks paid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act for all residents of California, preserving abortion rights, expanding funding for education, enforcing gun safety and.

Women Against the Recall, a coalition of women leaders and women's organizations, has been formed and is working against the recall. They site the 67 millions dollars of tax payers' money being spent on this special election, the precedent that this recall vote could set, and the nullifying of their vote on November 5, 2002 as their main reasons for opposition. Most importantly, this organization points to the hard fought civil rights and equal rights that women have won over the years that would be in great jeopardy if this administration changes hands. Many believe that there is no justification for a recall and it is just an effort by conservatives to gain control of the state. Women Against the Recall have adopted the motto "When Women Vote, Women Win."

AFSCME has committed time, resources and money to the efforts in California. So far, AFSCME has put fifty staff on the ground and will be sending more. The focus of AFSCME efforts is on aggressive member contact and education about the issues. The AFL-CIO has officially come out against the recall and a labor organization, Workers Against the California Recall, has been formed to raise awareness of Governor Davis' positive record on workers rights.

Supreme Court Nominee Estrada Withdraws

Miguel Estrada has withdrawn his name from nomination for a lifetime appointment to the Federal Appeals Court. Estrada was one of several controversial nominees put forth by President Bush for the District of Columbia U.S. Court of Appeals position. Estrada has been compared to Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who is a vocal opponent of affirmative action programs, abortion rights, and gay/lesbian rights. Democratic Senators opposed Estrada's nomination and sustained a filibuster against him for several months.

Senate Says No to Bush's Proposed Overtime Cuts

On September 12th the Senate passed Senator Tom Harkin's (D-IA) amendment to protect the overtime rights of employees and working families. Six Republicans joined the 48 Democratic Senators to oppose the White House plan. AFSCME joined with the entire labor movement in mobilizing its members in opposing the rules change. President Bush has threatened to veto any bill that includes opposition to his overtime regulations, so this fight is far from over. Soon the House will be voting on the issue and the House-Senate conference committee will work to reconcile any differences in the bills passed by each chamber.

March for Freedom of Choice

In June, AFSCME endorsed a major reproductive rights march scheduled for next year in Washington, DC. This milestone event, the March for Freedom of Choice, will be held on April 25th 2004.

The purpose of the march is to demonstrate overwhelming support for a woman's right to choose a safe, legal abortion and contraception. AFSCME members will gather behind a special AFSCME banner and walk together from the Lincoln Memorial to the National Mall as part of the procession. Following the march, there will be a rally with many exciting speakers.

The Women's Rights Department encourages you to get involved by organizing your own delegation and spreading this information to your Women's Committees, locals, councils and communities. For more information on the march please see the official March for Choice website.

Social Action and Activism in October

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. These are two serious issues facing many women and their families today. There are many ways you can get involved in your communities. Contact your local YWCA for information about their activities during YWCA Week Without Violence from October 19-25, or visit the YWCA online. Local shelters and National Organization for Women chapters might also be holding events. For information on Breast Cancer activities, visit the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month website.

Get Involved — For Your Health!

Just in case you needed it, here is one more reason to get involved. In an article published in the July issue of Natural Health Magazine it is stated that a link between activism and health has been found. Psychologists at the University of Sussex in England have found that people who took part in protests and demonstrations felt more positive about life than they did before grabbing their protest signs and taking to the streets and parks. The researchers say that having a positive outlook lowers your likelihood of feeling depressed and stressed and strengthens your immune system. Any kind of group activity, such as attending a town hall meeting or taking part in a fundraising walk, promotes group activity, leads to a sense of empowerment, and can make you feel healthier. With the upcoming 2004 election just around the corner, we should get involve for the sake of our country and our health!

Women's Rights Department Email List

We are building an email database of women AFSCME activists throughout the country. If you would like to receive regular updates on issues important to women, our union and our families, send us you email address. Write to womensrights@afscme.org and tell us you'd like to be added to the database. Please include your name, local/council/unit number, email address, and mailing address.

WomENews is produced by the Women's Rights Department and written by Sabrina Denney Bull.

 

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