Courage Campaign Applauds Labor Unions Joining Fight to Repeal Prop 8



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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 13, 2009






Courage Campaign Applauds Labor Unions Joining Fight to Repeal Prop 8

More Than 50 Labor Organizations, Including United Healthcare Workers and California Labor Federation, Will File Amicus Brief to Overturn Prop. 8

LOS ANGELES – Calling organized labor the most powerful single political force in California, Rick Jacobs, founder and chair of the Courage Campaign, today applauded the move by a coalition of more than 50 California labor organizations, including United Healthcare Workers (UHW) and the California Labor Federation, to file an amicus brief on Friday in support of the three lawsuits now challenging Proposition 8. This coalition represents more than two million working men and women in California.

“Organized labor is the most powerful single political force in California,” said Jacobs, founder and chair of the Courage Campaign, an online organizing network in California with nearly 400,000 members. “That the labor movement, representing more than two million Californians, is on record with the Supreme Court favoring equality for all underscores the importance of justice being done.”

The California Supreme Court has set a deadline for final briefs to be filed by late January. The court could hear the case as early as March, and make a decision by early summer on Prop. 8, as well as the validity of thousands of same-sex marriages that have already taken place in the past six months.

“There are fundamental constitutional rights that cannot be abolished by ballot initiative,” said Sal Rosselli, President of UHW. “Our organizations stand for fairness and equality for working people — not only in the workplace but in all aspects of society. Today we are standing up for all California families in asking the court to overturn Prop 8.”

The Courage Campaign has taken a leading role in the effort to repeal Prop 8 and restore marriage equality to California. More than 300,000 people have signed the “Repeal Prop 8” pledge launched by the Courage Campaign and joined by MoveOn.org, CREDO Mobile and Join the Impact.

And later this month, the Courage Campaign will sponsor “Camp Courage,” a skills-building training institute inspired by Camp Obama. The training  program will give grassroots activists the practical, hands-on skills to organize in their communities to win back equal rights for same-sex couples while promoting progressive solutions for California.

“This is not an issue that affects one group; it matters to all Californians,” added Jacobs. “On behalf of Courage Campaign’s nearly 400,000 members, we deeply appreciate Sal Rosselli’s leadership in bringing organized labor’s voice to the table. Sal and UHW have for years been at the forefront of organizing for and around progressive issues. The Courage Campaign looks forward to working with our friends at UHW, the State Fed and our other friends in labor for years to come.”

The three lawsuits are Strauss et al v. Horton, Tyler et al v. State of California et al, and City and County of San Francisco et al v. Horton et al.

For a copy of the brief, please reply to this email and a copy will be forwarded to you as an attachment.

The organizations joining the amicus brief include:

California Labor Federation
National Federation of Federal Employees
Screen Actors Guild
UNITE HERE!
Alameda Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Fresno-Madera-Tulare-Kings Counties Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO
Sacramento Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
San Mateo County Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO
San Francisco Labor Council, AFL-CIO
South Bay Labor Council, AFL-CIO
California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
California Faculty Association
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, District Council 57, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 2019, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 2428, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 3299, AFL-CIO
American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, Local 3916, AFL-CIO
American Federation of Teachers, Local 6119,Compton Council of Classified Employees
American Federation of Teachers, Local 6157, San Jose/Evergreen Faculty Association, AFL-CIO
El Camino College Federation of Teachers, Local 1388, California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
United Educators of San Francisco, AFT/CFT Local 61, AFL-CIO, NEA/CTA
University Council-American Federation of Teachers
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Council 97
Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, Council 99
Communications Workers of America District 9, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9000, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9503, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9505, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9421, AFL-CIO
Communications Workers of America, Local 9575, AFL-CIO
District Council of Ironworkers of the State of California and Vicinity
Jewish Labor Committee Western Region
Maintenance Cooperation Trust Fund
National Federation of Federal Employees, Local 1450
Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Local 300, AFL-CIO
Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Local 400, AFL-CIO
Pride at Work, AFL-CIO
SEIU California State Council
SEIU Local 521
SEIU Local 721
SEIU Local 1000
SEIU Local 1021
SEIU Local 1877
SEIU United Healthcare Workers West
Teamsters Joint Council 7, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Teamsters Local 853, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 5
UNITE HERE Local 19
United Steelworkers, Local 5, Martinez, Ca.
University Professional and Technical Employees, Communications Workers of America, Local 9119, AFL-CIO

 
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