Contact: Amanda Green-Hawkins, agreen@usw.org, 412-562-2398
(PITTSBURGH) – United Steelworkers (USW) Vice President of Human Affairs Fred Redmond and the USW Civil and Human Rights Department released the following statement on behalf of the union in support of today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ+ workplace and employment protections under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964:
“The USW is proud to celebrate along with millions of others today the Supreme Court ruling that officially bans workplace and employment discrimination against LGBTQ+ people. It is now up to every one of us in the labor movement and beyond to ensure it is employed fully and fairly in our workplaces.
“Until now, workers in more than two dozen states were vulnerable to being fired by their employers simply for their sexual orientation or gender identity. Labor fought back against this at the bargaining table, as well as in the halls of Congress and in the streets, never ceasing in its pursuit of fairness and equality in our country’s workplaces.
“This ruling must not be the end of our fight for a more just and equal society, however. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the many disparities in our communities, especially for Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ people, who have been disproportionately impacted by this pandemic. Many lack access to health care, and many work in essential industries earning low wages — they cannot be left to fall through the cracks created by the chaos.
“So, let us honor this Pride Month with a renewed commitment to moving forward in our fight for the safety and health of all working people, while celebrating this long-overdue victory. There is still much work to be done.”
The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.