Organized Labor Deepens Support for Transgender Equality and Justice at Annual Conference

Post by Director of Upstate Organizing, Sheilah Sable, who also serves as the statewide coordinator of the Pride Agenda’s Pride in Our Union program.

On Saturday, November 19, forty members of the Pride in Our Union New York City Committee gathered at CUNY’s Murphy Institute for the annual Pride and Solidarity in Action Conference.

As usual, we accomplished a lot. The afternoon kicked off with my welcoming remarks, reminding attendees of the important and powerful work that was done last spring by labor partners to help pass the Marriage Equality Act. We talked about the Pride Agenda’s upcoming work and how labor can once again bring numbers and voices in support of the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA), and improving the quality of life for New York’s LGBT laborers and our families in the areas of health care, access to benefits, accurate documents and safety.

For the opening panel, we were joined by Kevin Finnegan, the Political Director of 1199 SEIU and Denise Berkley, the Statewide Secretary of CSEA. These two unions combined represent over a million members. Denise and Kevin spoke eloquently about their own journeys around LGBT issues, how their unions supported marriage equality and how we can work together to pass GENDA. In honor of the work done by both unions, the Pride in Our Union committee presented Denise and Kevin with framed marriage equality placards as a token of thanks for their support and hard work. The placards were the same as those used by tens of thousands of activists during rallies and events in the years and days leading up to the passage of marriage.

The rest of the conference was chock full of great information on how to work with your union to maintain domestic partner benefits, tools you can use to determine which healthcare plans cover transgender needs (and which don’t), how to negotiate those benefits into the contract and how to be an ally for LGBT issues. Legal experts joined us to answer legal questions pertaining to LGBT issues. Sally Otos, a New York City attorney spoke to us about issues that arise as a result of marriage being legal in New York and only five other states, but not on the federal level due to the so-called Defense of Marriage Act. Noah Lewis, from the Transgender Legal Education and Defense Fund talked to the group about specific legal issues that affect transgender people and shared with us a credit card-sized document that transgender people can carry in their wallets to identify them as transgender if they encounter transphobic members of the police department or others who harass them in various public accommodation settings.

We enjoyed a meal together, took the opportunity to talk about the upcoming election work on behalf of the legislators who stood with us during the marriage vote and who commit to standing with us on GENDA; our campaign work around transgender equality and justice; in-district meetings and community ambassador trainings; building the volume of New Yorkers contacting their elected officials; and, recruitment for Equality & Justice Day, May 8, 2012.

This was a great conference, and Pride in Our Union is a vitally important program that supports our work for transgender equality and justice. If you are interested in Pride in Our Union or being involved in our other work, please contact me at (518) 649-8135 or send me an email at ssable AT prideagenda DOT org.

Photos: (Kevin Finnegan, SEIU 1199 and Denise Berkley, AFSCME CSEA Local 100); (Noah Lewis, Transgender Legal Defense and Education Fund and Sally Otos, NYC Attorney); (Kelly Canzoneri, DC 37, Local 1503; Jeff Oshins, DC 37, Local 375; Denise Berkley, CSEA Local 100; Gail Harris, DC 37, Local 375)

Transgender Americans: Young and old; in the workforce and in our families

Recent news stories have highlighted breakthroughs and challenges for transgender Americans, both young and old, in the workforce and in our families. As he begins his transition journey, Kye Allums has gotten approval to remain on the George Washington University women’s basketball team. Like many in the college generation today, his teammates came around pretty quickly, supporting their coach’s decision to be inclusive. To help high school and college athletic programs navigate a world in which more transgender students are coming out, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and It Takes a Team! have co-published a guide for schools,which was cited in the New York Times article.

That same week, a Huffington Post column by Joanne Herman highlighted the challenges coming up for an earlier generation of transgender people as they age, often bringing the legacy of unemployment, under-insurance and mistreatment by health care providers into their final years. This story shows how urgent equal employment opportunity is for transgender Americans. The Pride Agenda is working to pass the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) in New York State as soon as possible.

That urgency heightens the significance of the breakthrough last week by Victoria Kolakowski, who won her election as California’s Alameda County Superior Court Judge—the first transgender trial judge in the country. Unfortunately, it is all-too-common for transgender people to lose their jobs when they transition.

A moving story in this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine makes passing reference to the likelihood that an emerging transwoman, who teaches music at a Catholic school in the Bronx, will lose "his" job. But the focus of that story is on the journey of this transwoman’s sister, from resistance to acceptance, as her “brother” becomes her “sister.”

Everyone who is in circle of a transgender individual – family, friends and colleagues - goes through their own transition along with them. Indeed, inclusive workplace policies and trainings have a broad impact. Both our Pride in My Workplace and Pride in Our Union programs provide the trainings that can support not only transgender employees, but also the employees and union members who are family and friends of transgender Americans.

Post by Desma Holcomb, Program Director

Pride In Our Union: educating on marriage recognition and transgender heath benefits

A message from Sheilah Sable, Upstate Director of Pride in Action:

On June 8, 2010, I attended a meeting of the Social Service Employees Union (SSEU) AFSCME Local 371 Committee on Social Work and the Political Action Committee. As part of our Pride in Our Union education efforts, this group of about 50 New York City social workers, caseworkers and local union staffers got together to learn more about marriage recognition benefits for same-sex couples and health benefits for transgender union members. Thanks to the Executive Vice President Yolanda Pumerejo who put this event together for her brothers and sisters at SSEU.

The discussion was a spirited one and addressed issues around benefits, or lack thereof, for LGBT union members. This local union (and its umbrella District Council 37) has been a pioneer in leading the way on specific benefits of importance to same-sex couples. In true keeping with the social justice commitment of these NYC social service workers, the conversation revolved around ways in which members could help make health benefits a reality for trans union members and marriage recognition benefits a reality for same-sex couples.

Materials were circulated outlining ways in which union members can help. These suggestions included: educating union leaders, staff, workplace supervisors and fellow union members about the issues; motivating union leadership to pass resolutions or memos in support of these issues; establishing clear workplace guidelines for transgender employees who are transitioning; being sensitive about locker rooms and bathrooms; finding ways to support transgender clients of city services by providing training to those who are working in that area; demonstrating a commitment to fairness and dignity; and offering gender neutral restrooms and other facilities.

In negotiating for both marriage recognition benefits and benefits for transgender individuals, there are a number of things union members can and should do to keep the pressure on, including: giving union members an opportunity to self-identify as LGBT and as partnered on the pre-bargaining survey; incorporating marriage recognition and transgender benefits in the list of goals on that survey or at membership meetings; passing a resolution in support of transgender benefits and marriage recognition benefits; using their LGBT issues committee to educate members about the need for and low cost of these benefits; using the policy and cost experience of other unions to persuade management; including at least one LGBT member on the negotiating committee who can testify to the need for these benefits and help advocate with management; and finally, with regards to transgender benefits, publicizing the American Medical Association resolution, the IRS ruling and San Francisco’s cost experience to further the arguments that transgender health benefits are necessary, tax deductible and low cost to the employer.

Connections were made with various members and staffers, who have already reached out about additional presentations for their particular worksites. We may have an opportunity to educate members of this local who work in city prisons and the juvenile justice system.

I look forward to good work with this local on issues affecting economic and social justice for LGBT Union members and the broader community.

If you would like to have a Pride in Our Union speaker at your union meeting, please contact me at 518-472-3330 x 303 or ssable@prideagenda.org.

Pride in Our Union: Pride and Solidarity in Action

The Pride Agenda's Upstate Director of Pride In Action Sheilah Sable reports back from our recent Pride in Our Union event:

The Pride in Our Union program held an educational forum for LGBT union members, staff and leaders and their allies on Saturday, November 14th at the CUNY Murphy Center in New York. The forum was called “Pride and Solidarity in Action.”

There were over 40 LGBT union activists and allies from a dozen different unions: CSEA, UFT, 1199 SEIU UHWE, 32BJ, Local 375 DC 37 AFSCME, UUP, CWA Local 1180, NYCDCC Local 157 and Local 926, RWDSU, NYSUT, Local 2110 UAW and SSA/1199 SEIU.

The first panel covered Best Practices for Union Benefits, and included a discussion about marriage recognition, domestic partnerships and trans health care led by James Staley of CSEA Local 010 and Chair of CSEA’s New York City LGBT Committee, Nicole Aniello of the Brooklyn Local 926 of the New York City Carpenter’s Union, and Pride Agenda Program Director Desma Holcomb.

Mid-day, there were small group conversations around how to navigate challenging discussions among union members, where issues of religion, race, homophobia, transphobia and other areas of cultural competency can be a challenge. Kevin McGruder, a lay leader member of Pride in the Pulpit and Kele Nkhereanye, an activist from Less AIDS Lesotho and a member of TWU 100, were instrumental in keeping the conversation productive and on point. Danny Jimenez of the Education and Development Department of 1199 SEIU and Pride Agenda Foundation Board member, Jeff Oshins of DC 37/Local 375’s Labor and Political Activity Committee and Co-Chair and Secretary of LAGIC (Lesbian and Gay Issues Committee), and Neil Kirby of CSEA Local 010 and Chair of the Political Action Committee, lead these discussions.

Finally, we heard about solidarity: how the LGBT movement can support union folks in campaigns for fair wages and social justice and how unions have supported the LGBT movement for marriage equality, transgender non-discrimination and an end to bullying in schools. Rona Freiser, Queens Borough Representative of UFT, described how support for LGBT issues starts with classroom teachers interrupting bullying and extends through resolutions in support of legislation right up to direct lobbying by the NYC and now national union President Randi Weingarten. Phil Andrews, Coordinator of the Retail Action Project of RWDSU, demonstrated how a campaign for fair wages and decent treatment at a downtown retailer forged mutual respect between young LGBT retail clerks and older Muslim African immigrant stock workers. Pride Agenda and LGBT movement support for this kind of campaign builds a stronger labor movement that can give more powerful support to LGBT issues as well.

Pride in Our Union encourages unions in all sectors of the labor movement in New York State to be free of discrimination and to bargain and advocate on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) members and their families. In solidarity, we work to build a movement that calls for respect for diversity and advances the goal of social and economic justice for all. You can download our Labor Movement Handbook of best practices here or contact Pride in Our Union coordinator and Upstate Director for Pride in Action Sheilah Sable at ssable@prideagenda.org.