AFSCME’s Saunders: We will keep fighting to protect our democracy and ensure a better future for working families

WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement in response to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Louisiana v. Callais: 

“For decades, the Voting Rights Act has protected the freedom to vote and ensured that the voices of people of color could not be diluted to weaken our collective power. Today the Supreme Court abandoned its duty to uphold equal justice under the law, stripping away critical protections that helped guarantee working people a seat at the table. This is a clear political power grab that guts civil rights protections that people gave their lives for, further rigging the system toward the powerful and billionaires at the expense of working families.  

“But despite the Court’s ruling, we will not be silenced. AFSCME members are getting organized and taking action because we know that strong public services and an economy that works for everyone depend on a democracy where every voice is heard and every vote counts. We will keep fighting in Congress, in state and local governments, in the courts and at the ballot box to protect that promise and build a better future for working families.” 

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AFSCME's 1.4 million members provide the vital services that make America happen. With members in communities across the nation, serving in hundreds of different occupations — from nurses to corrections officers, childcare providers to sanitation workers — AFSCME advocates for fairness in the workplace, excellence in public services and freedom and opportunity for all working families