Pride At Work

CWA

Resolution 66A-04-3

Economic Equality

As trade unionists, we believe all workers are entitled to a discrimination-free workplace with full parity in benefits, pay, and fair treatment outside of the job. We hold a firm commitment that there should be equal pay for equal work regardless of race, creed, color, gender or sexual orientation. This commitment has been a guiding principle as we have fought for the rights of minorities and women.

More recently we have fought for economic equality for gay and lesbian workers. By bargaining domestic partner language in contracts we negotiate, we have attempted to secure the same benefits for all members working under those contracts. This approach has worked for some benefit provisions but not for others. Benefits defined by law as entitlements for spouses are beyond our reach in collective bargaining agreements. Governmental programs that we have endorsed and supported are not available to some of our members. Civil unions and domestic partner protections do not provide same sex couples with the legal protections afforded to legally recognized spouses.

The U.S. General Accounting Office has documented more than 1,000 federal benefits and protections acquired by civil marriage. The majority of these benefits are not available through domestic partnerships or civil unions. These include: the right to collect spousal Social Security benefits, Workers’ Compensation, ERISA pension and death benefits when the spouse dies; the right to use pre-tax dollars for spouses via medical savings accounts; the right to receive benefits under the Family and Medical Leave Act to care for an ill or injured spouse or spouse’s child; the right to continue health insurance for a spouse under COBRA; and the right to have an immigrant spouse accorded citizenship.

Resolved: The Communications Workers of America supports the rights of all our members to access the full and equal rights of civil marriage.

* Download Actual Resolution (.pdf)