For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Mae apGovannon of AFGE.

Mae apGovannon is the AFGE national pride committee chair. They are also the AFGE District 11 pride coordinator, the AFGE Local 2157 Veterans Benefit Administration (VBA) pride coordinator, and the AFGE VBA safety representative and steward. They serve the VBA as a senior veterans service representative, focusing on mentoring and training. In 2023, they were the co-recipient of the AFGE Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Champion Award. As chair of AFGE PRIDE, they dedicate their time to helping to lead and develop new programs and training opportunities for AFGE members nationwide.

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Laborers (LIUNA) Local 814 members ratified a new contract with West Virginia University Hospitals. The deal goes through March 2027 and passed with a vote of 369–235. The contract maintains health care benefits, provides pay increases, longevity and annual discretionary bonuses, and a $1,000 ratification bonus.

“For the first time, we have been able to get the annual bonus that the hospital does based on hospital performance in our contract as well,” said Local 814 Business Manager Kristi Snider. “Our more tenured employees are getting raises instead of lump sum payments. That’s what they want and need to see in their wage.”

For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Hunter Chumbley of the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA).

First Officer Hunter Chumbley is a Boeing 777 pilot and serves as the vice chair of ALPA’s Diversity, Equity, Belonging and Inclusion Committee, helping to promote a culture on the flight deck where all pilots can be their authentic selves and helping to foster a future generation of commercial airline pilots that better reflects the composition of the communities ALPA pilots serve. “Ensuring that all our members are reflected in our work representing ALPA pilots is our core value. Just like the larger labor community, we strive to advance our profession now and in the future, to anyone who sees themselves as an airline pilot while maintaining a highly qualified workforce, highest safety standards and quality working conditions for all.”

Welcome to our regular feature, a look at what the various AFL-CIO unions and other working family organizations are doing across the country and beyond. The labor movement is big and active—here's a look at the broad range of activities we're engaged in this week.

Actors' Equity:

In acknowledgment of members who have passed, we invite you to our quarterly virtual memorial gathering on June 10. 
This event is open to the public and anyone who wishes to speak will be given an opportunity while time allows. https://t.co/sqtSstEEsf pic.twitter.com/qzNjqGbJyS

— Actors' Equity (@ActorsEquity) June 2, 2024

AFGE:

Here's what you should know about your job-related injury rights ⬇https://t.co/A3HghOqJNA

— AFGE (@AFGENational) June 5, 2024

AFSCME:

The first contract for workers at the @afworkersunion in LA offers pay raises, leave and other benefits.https://t.co/e9xTQf0lWm

— AFSCME (@AFSCME) May 31, 2024

Alliance for Retired Americans:

Instead of more tax cuts for the wealthy, why don't we make them pay their fair share into Social Security? #ScrapTheCap https://t.co/hT7RfU4re5

— Alliance for Retired Americans (@ActiveRetirees) June 4, 2024

Amalgamated Transit Union:

Today at the U.S. Department of Labor, ATU Director of Apprenticeships and Workforce Development Jamaine Gibson attended the meeting of the DOL’s Advisory Committee on Apprenticeship (ACA). As a member of this diverse Committee of apprenticeship stakeholders, pic.twitter.com/j74V3PoZSi

— ATU, Transit Union (@ATUComm) June 4, 2024

American Federation of Teachers:

As an AFT member, your well-being is our priority. We’re here to support you. You don’t have to face it alone. 

Our free, confidential trauma counseling program offers specialized care to help you heal and regain your strength. Learn more: https://t.co/6xQ1ZzyTgX @AFTMembBen pic.twitter.com/PgG7I3dbbq

— AFT (@AFTunion) June 5, 2024

American Postal Workers Union:

Happy Pride Month! Be iridescent, celebrate diversity and the right to live freely in a world without hate.

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Workers from four Twin Cities Half Price Books locations in Minnesota ratified their first union contracts. They are members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) locals 663 and 1189. The new contracts include 33% raises, job protections such as just cause, grievance procedures and union representation.

“Through the hard work of the entire bargaining committee, we have shown all of our coworkers the priceless value of having a union contract. This is going to help everyone at Half Price Books, and it will continue for decades to come,” said Aaron Kerr, a bookseller at the Roseville Half Price Books.

For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Martha Grevatt of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW).

Martha Grevatt is a founding board member of Pride At Work. She served on the Pride At Work board from 1994–2001 and held positions in Pride At Work Ohio and Pride At Work Michigan. Grevatt has been a UAW member since 1987, when she was hired at Chrysler’s Twinsburg, Ohio, stamping plant. There Grevatt waged a long fight against sexual and homophobic harassment. She fought for—and helped win—nondiscrimination language covering sexual orientation in the 1999 UAW contracts with the Big Three. One year later, the union won domestic partner health care benefits for same-sex partners. Grevatt was a trustee of UAW Local 122 in Twinsburg and, after the plant closed and she relocated, trustee of Local 869.

No matter who you love or your gender identity, your union has your back. We have no tolerance for hate in our movement.

The labor movement proudly celebrates Pride Month because everyone deserves to live and work as their full, authentic self.

Sadly, LGBTQ+ people still lack basic federal legal protections in the workplace; at the state level, protections vary. In 16 states and two territories, there’s no prohibitions for discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in state law.

This leaves too many of America’s workers with no legal workplace protections whatsoever based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

The best tool workers have to fight back is a union contract. Union contracts are legally enforceable in every state. They protect LGBTQIA+ workers from harassment, and can mean real progress for working people and our families to gain health care, savings, a future, and so much more. Check out some model contract language from our partners at Pride at Work.

We previously asked you to share what your union means to you as an LGBTQIA+ union member. Here are some stories by workers who are protected by a union contract and are LGBTQIA+ or union allies:

“Long before marriage equality, my union bargained for and got partnership benefits and has kept them for non-married couples after marriage equality was won in the courts.” 

—Anonymous

“Trans students often reach out to me, and I offer them a safe space to talk. LGBTQ+ musicians often tell me that my simply existing in this role has helped them to see that their own aspirations are possible. If you don’t see yourself out there, you begin to doubt you can do it.”

—Sasha Romero, Principal Trombone, American Federation of Musicians (AFM)

“Whenever I see a young person new to the union who feels comfortable being their whole self, and knowing that in some small way I helped create the space for them to do that, I can’t think of anything that makes me feel more pride as a queer IATSE member than that.”

—Jenny Reeves, President, Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 849

“My union, the Operating Engineers, made it possible for me to learn a trade as a heavy construction equipment operator, through a bargaining agreement of an apprenticeship, which immediately led to a way out of poverty at the age of 21. I had experienced poverty and homelessness during part of my youth.

“Homophobia has been successfully used by employers as a tool to divide workers and destroy union organizing efforts. I’ve seen this tactic used when I was an active part of my union’s efforts, and it seems particularly effective in the construction industry.

“I fully support all efforts to fight oppression and promote freedom in every way possible. The labor movement is Inclusive of the fight against oppression in all other movements, for people of color, women and the gay community.”

—Anonymous

“As an out and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have a strong conviction to be my authentic self, thus creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for all people, just as my union does for me.”

—Maria Perez, Executive Assistant/Communications Director, Office and Professional Employees (OPEIU) Local 30

“Having a union job means I can raise my teenage grandchild in relative comfort. I can adequately clothe and feed him as well as music lessons. I wake up each day knowing that even if I have a bad day or make a mistake at work, I will still have a job the next day. I spent decades looking for a job like this.”

—Anonymous

Do you want to add your story?

Every week, we bring you a roundup of the top news and commentary about issues and events important to working families. Here’s the latest edition of the Working People Weekly List.

Black Labor Leaders Say United Front Needed in November to Save Democracy: “Verrett and Saunders were expanding on similar sentiments expressed at the CBTU convention last Thursday by Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO and the highest-ranking Black trade unionist in the U.S. ‘Whether we like it or not, this election comes down to us: Black people and the labor movement,’ Redmond had said. The upcoming election determines ‘the future of this country and the future of our labor movement.’ What’s at stake in the 2024 election, according to Redmond, is the continued ability for the working class to fight for ‘worker’s rights, voting rights, civil rights, healthcare, water rights, the right to live and have a good-paying union job.’”

Biden's Dealmaker: How Julie Su Helped Broker a Union Contract in Hostile South: “Acting Labor Department Secretary Julie Su just helped secure a labor contract for more than 15,000 newly unionized workers at a school bus manufacturer in Georgia—a region typically hostile to unionization. Why it matters: The contract at Blue Bird Corp., ratified last week, shows how the administration's pro-labor stance, along with the money pouring in from its signature legislation, is changing how some U.S. businesses operate. The big picture: Su's been actively involved in several key labor negotiations over the past few years—from West Coast port workers to health care employees at Kaiser Permanente to the UAW's talks last year.”

Staff at Coolidge Corner Theatre Seek to Form Union: “Staff at the Coolidge Corner Theatre have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board, a crucial first step to form a union at the Brookline cinema. The petition, which organizers filed Wednesday, lays the groundwork for the theater’s roughly 40 eligible employees to join United Autoworkers Local 1596, creating a collective bargaining for the movie house’s floor supervisors, box office, and concessions workers, among others. ‘We really just want all of us to get what we deserve for what we do for the place that we love,’ said Andrew Schlehuber, a floor supervisor who helped organize the union drive. ‘We want to have a more transparent, more equitable workplace where we recognize every single person’s contribution to the theater’s success.’”

Progressives Urge Biden Administration to Crack Down on 'Union-Busting' Industry: “Every year, U.S. employers spend millions of dollars on outside consultants who specialize in breaking up union campaigns. Because much of that work is cloaked in secrecy, progressive groups are urging the Biden administration to crack down and make it more transparent. A paper released Wednesday recommends that the Labor Department force employers and their consultants to make greater financial disclosures related to anti-union spending so workers can better understand who’s being paid to lobby them. The authors write that the firms are ‘deploying increasingly aggressive tactics to dissuade employees from unionizing.’”

House Democratic Caucus Staff Say ‘Union YES!’: “Earlier this month the Washington Public Employees Association/UFCW Local 365 filed for representation on behalf of the Washington State Legislature’s House Democratic Caucus staff. Legislative staff were prohibited from forming or joining a union until a 2022 law that went into effect on May 1 of this year. WPEA has actively supported legislative staff’s right to collectively bargain, an effort that goes back to a 2011 bill proposed by former staff-turned-member Rep. Joe Fitzgibbon (D-West Seattle).”

CVS Pharmacists at Two Rhode Island Stores Vote to Join New Union: “Pharmacists at two CVS stores in Rhode Island voted last week to join The Pharmacy Guild, the new union backed by IAM Healthcare, which is part of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The pharmacists at the CVS stores in Wakefield and Westerly, who had previously petitioned for union representation, became the second and third CVS locations to vote to join the union, following a CVS Omnicare location in Las Vegas. The votes are pending approval by the National Labor Relations Board.”

American Folk Art Museum Workers Move to Join Union: “Staff at New York City’s American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) are organizing for fair wages, benefits, and sustainable working conditions. On June 6, workers across the Upper Manhattan museum’s departments including curators, retail staff, educators, and information technology personnel will vote on whether to unionize with Local 2110 UAW. ‘Our objective is to make AFAM a democratic institution committed to its employees; a museum that invests in professional development and continuously strives to create a healthier work culture,’ workers wrote in a post published to the newly formed Instagram account @afam_union last week.”

‘People Are Just Much More Willing to Fight’: More Health Care Workers in Clark County Push to Join Union: “Unionization efforts across the health care field continue to increase in Clark County and beyond as workers steadily organize to secure more workplace protections. Health care workers say they hope to secure better working conditions, pay equity, safe staffing and protection from workplace violence, especially in the wake of the pandemic when many nurses said they felt overworked and undervalued. ‘It’s one of the best opportunities for us to have a voice that can directly result in change. That to me is a big reason why I’m in favor of people unionizing,’ said David Watson, a hospice social worker at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center. ‘I think it’s a way to make various systems better and have ripple effects for the community.’”

How Women Are Changing Labor Unions: “Across the country, labor is having a moment: Historic United Auto Workers wins (and some losses) in the union-resistant South, Amazon factory organizing, Hollywood’s SAG-AFTRA strike and Starbucks workers’ union fight have dominated headlines this year. ‘I am riding that wave and loving every minute of it,’ Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO, the nation’s largest federation of union workers, tells Women Rule. As waves of labor activism sweep the country, women of color are leading union growth, while union women in construction and manufacturing are raising labor and safety standards for all workers. Within unions—spaces once largely dominated by white men—leaders say they are pushing women of all races and men of color to take on leadership roles and incentivizing women to join previously male-dominated industries.”

Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Maps Strategy for 2024 and Beyond: “‘Staying neutral means staying silent. It means risking the rights of workers and the civil rights of all. It means the continuation of unemployment and poor wages while the powerful continue to get richer.’ That’s the warning from Fred Redmond, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFL-CIO and the highest-ranking Black trade unionist in the country. Redmond was speaking to over 1,200 Black, Latino/a, Asian, Arab, Indigenous, and white delegates and guests at the 53rd International Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) that filled the Houston Marriott Marquis Hotel convention center on Thursday morning.”

Working people across the United States have stepped up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.

Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 2001 members at New Jersey Transit ratified a new three-year contract with 80% of the vote. The new contract goes into effect on July 1 and covers 180 car inspectors, car mechanics and coach cleaners. It includes 3% pay raises for three years, Veterans Day as a paid holiday, one additional paid sick day and does not include any givebacks to NJ Transit, “ensuring that previously won improvements to pay and benefits stay in place.”

“The TWU is proud to secure an agreement that improves the lives of workers at NJ Transit,” said TWU International President John Samuelsen.