A PUBLICATION OF THE COALITION OF LABOR UNION WOMEN Spring 2006

CLUWCLUW LAUNCHESLAUNCHES CAMPAIGNCAMPAIGN TOTO PROTECT—ANDPROTECT—AND EXTEND—EXTEND— FAMILYFAMILY LEAVELEAVE ig business tried to keep the But CLUW believes the FMLA must Family and Medical Leave Act not only be protected, it should be B(FMLA) from becoming law in extended. CLUW’s National Executive 1993. Now the business lobby is trying Board launched an FMLA campaign at to dismantle one of this era’s most its Reno meeting on March 25 with for additional family needs—such as family-friendly reforms. 5,000 postcards (printed courtesy of parent-teacher conferences, taking an More than 50 million workers have IAM) urging members of Congress and elderly parent to the doctor or staying taken advantage of the FMLA by taking President Bush to “fight against any home with a child who has the flu. As unpaid leave to care for themselves or attempts to dismantle” the FMLA. The live longer, they are spending their loved ones—with the guarantee message then points out that millions more years as caretakers of their that their job would be waiting for them more working families could benefit children, their aging parents or both— when they return. CLUW is alerting all from the Act in the future if it called for increasing the need for time off to tend of its members that business groups are paid leave. NEB members distributed to their medical requirements. pushing hard to restrict the ability of the postcards to CLUW members and In addition, too many workers don’t workers to take time off and even to unionists in their local communities. take advantage of the FMLA because end the job guarantee. In the face of FMLA needs to be expanded because they can’t afford to take unpaid leave. this campaign to weaken the law, we so many workers are left behind. Two in CLUW supports paying for family leave. instead advocate expanding the FMLA five employees are not covered at all Congressional supporters of the Family to allow leave to more people for more under the Act, whose mandate is and Medical Leave Act have sent letters reasons—and to mandate paid leave. restricted to companies with 50 or more to the Department of Labor stating their Although it took an act of Congress employees and workers employed at the opposition to significant changes in the to create the FMLA, its provisions could company for at least a year. Act. Your union can do the same. be undone without any action on FMLA supporters propose extending Capitol Hill. The Department of Labor the law to allow workers to take leave For more on FMLA, see www.cluw.org. has the authority to make revisions, fol- lowing a public comment period. Since the Department has placed changes to the FMLA on its list of regulatory priori- ties, action could come at any time. SAVE THE DATES! Upcoming 2006 Sign up to be a CLUW e-Activist: National Executive Board Meetings: www.cluw.org June 15-17: Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC Sept. 21-23: Sheraton Music City Hotel, Nashville, TN

The Committee on Work and Family Issues and the Task Force on Women Against Violence have merged. You are invited to join this new committee at a planning session on June 17 at 11:30 am in conjunction with the NEB meeting in Washington. At this session the group will create a name for the new joint committee and write a mission statement. MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Quality universal health care— Published quarterly by the the right prescription for America! Coalition of Labor Union Women 815 16th St. NW, 2nd floor south Washington, DC 20006 Marsha Zakowski, CLUW National President Phone: 202-508-6969 Fax: 202-508-6968 [email protected] n the past four years the number of uninsured Americans rose by 6 million people. Over 45 million Volume 33, No. 1, Spring 2006 Americans have no health insurance, including 11 ISSN No. 0199-8919 I million children. Another 40 million Americans are under- Annual rates: $1.50 of membership dues for CLUW News. Dues are $50 insured. Nearly half of all Americans forced to file for for working members, $15 for retirees. bankruptcy do so because of medical bills. Three-quarters Officers Directory of them had health insurance. Some 18,000 people die 2005-2009 each year because they are without health insurance. President Women have lower rates of early detection screening tests for breast cancer Marsha Zakowski USW and other medical conditions because they cannot afford the costs of the tests. Executive Vice President They are risking their lives by delaying care. Jean Hervey UNITE HERE Almost 100 years have passed since the first discussion of national health Treasurer Judy Beard APWU insurance in America. The time is long overdue to change our inefficient, Recording Secretary inequitable, and costly fragmented health care system. Royetta Sanford IBEW Universal health insurance systems work well for the major industrial nations Corresponding Secretary in the world. Why is the U.S. the only industrialized nation that does not provide Cheryl Eastburn IAM its citizens with national health care? The Bush Administration says, “A govern- Vice Presidents Janis M. Borchardt ATU ment-run health care system is the wrong prescription [for America].” Yet, Article Bennie Bridges AFGE 30, Paragraph 1 of the new Iraqi constitution—that the U.S. helped write—states: Gloria Brimm UAW “The state guarantees social and health insurance, the basics for a free and hon- Larraine Darrington CWA Dolores Gorczyca IFPTE orable life for the individual and the family…” Cheryl L. Johnson UAN In our “Healthcare Coverage for All” resolution adopted at the 13th Biennial Theresa Kandt OPEIU Maria Neira AFT Convention, CLUW pledged to increase our efforts to advocate for universal Janet E. Nelson AFSCME health care coverage; support any of our unions when they are in disputes with Kerry Newkirk SEIU Marti Rodriguez-Harris UWUA their employers over the costs of health care; and raise awareness of the health Founding President Emerita care crisis and advocate real solutions to the health care problems in our nation. Olga M. Madar UAW If we keep the status quo on health care, how many more thousands of Presidents Emeritae Americans will join the numbers of the uninsured? There are national and state Joyce D. Miller UNITE HERE Gloria T. Johnson CWA “grass-roots movements” calling for health care reform. Some of our CLUW

Executive Vice President Emerita chapters are participating in local and state initiatives to bring public awareness Addie Wyatt UFCW to the need for quality universal health care and supporting legislative efforts General Counsel that will provide health care for all citizens. Mary K. O’Melveny All CLUW members and union activists are urged to take action for quality Executive Director universal health care—it is the right prescription for America! Carol Rosenblatt Editor/Designer Lorraine Swerdloff Please send all CLUW News submissions to the national office. Name______Periodical postage paid at Washington, DC Moving? USPS #335-670 Address______Postmaster send change of address to: CLUW News 815 16th St. NW, 2nd Floor South City, State, ZIP______Washington, DC 20006 Union Affiliation______www.cluw.org

Let us know your change of address. Send this coupon to the National CLUW office. 2 CLUWNEWS spring 2006 At the Reno NEB meeting, President Marsha Zakowski (r.) joins the State Vice Presidents, Alternates and State Coordinator at their swearing in.

EXECUTIVE BOARD CHARTS CLUW’S PATH FOR COMING YEAR

ational Executive Board delegates as we always have, with commitment, ■ Continuing to advocate for women’s and guests converged on Reno, determination, persistence and persever- health, including reproductive health serv- NNevada on March 23-25 for CLUW’s ance,” she told the delegates. “Let’s go ices and preventive health care; first National Executive Board meeting in out and let union women and working ■ Working to remove the waiting period 2006. They participated in a Leadership women and men know that there’s a between receipt of the first Social Security Development Conference and set the CLUW ... the only national organization disability check and entitlement to Medicare; course for CLUW through NEB business. for union women.” ■ Encouraging participation in activities The March 24 Leadership Development The delegates took into consideration sponsored by their unions and the AFL- Conference was designed to engage NEB Zakowski’s remarks, launching a cam- CIO on International Human Rights Day leaders to think about how to build CLUW paign to protect and strengthen the FMLA ■ Supporting the Work and Family Bill and to evaluate what leadership skills we (see postcard initiative on page 1) based of Rights. bring—or need to bring—in order to on a resolution adopted at CLUW’s 13th See the CLUW website for the complete demonstrate CLUW’s unique role in the Biennial Convention in September. text of all approved resolutions. labor movement. The NEB also addressed CLUW’s future In the morning by endorsing numerous resolutions that Ida Torres (pictured), put CLUW out front in areas of impor- 2005-2009 State Vice Presidents president of Local 3 tance to working women. Among the and Alternates RWDSU/UFCW, and NEB-approved resolutions is one support- Dorothy Fortier ing the efforts of Puerto Rican registered The following CLUW State Vice Presidents (IBEW) and Tammie nurses to be employed as licensed regis- and Alternates were elected last year in Botelho (USW)— tered nurses in the US mainland—a move their respective states or appointed by co-chairs of CLUW’s that would help fill the need for bicultural the National Officers Council. Women in Union nurses. Another resolution supports the CA: SVP - Dorothy Fortier (IBEW) Leadership Committee—introduced con- efforts of exotic dancers to be organized, CT: State Coordinator - Helene Shay (AFSCME) ference participants to a survey helping to noting they are subject to unsafe working DC: SVP - Bonnie Oakes (OPEIU) better define “What Is a Leader?” and conditions including non-payment of wages, ASVP - Susan Holleran (AFSCME) more specifically what makes a CLUW economic coercion and sexual assault. IL: SVP - Delores R. Wasmund (AFSCME) leader. CLUW is in the process of compil- Other endorsed resolutions include: IN: SVP - Karen Treat (UAW) ASVP - Karen Sanders (UAW) ■ ing the responses to evaluate a plan of Encouraging CLUW chapters to sup- MD: SVP - Wanda Shelton-Martin (OPEIU) action. port the right of women to breastfeed or MI: SVP - Tanya Fitzpatrick (UAW) Afternoon offerings included the oppor- express breast milk in a clean and private ASVP - Barbara J. Young (UAW) tunity to attend interactive workshops on place near their work area; MN: SVP - Lonna-Jean Schmidt (MNA) MO: SVP - Stephanie Lloyd-Agnew (IAM) ■ building membership, energizing chapters Educating the community on the crit- ASVP - Sandra Henderson (IAM) and working with the media. ical need to restore workers’ freedom to NY: SVP - Dolores Young (APWU) At Saturday’s plenary session, President form unions; OH: SVP - JoAnn Johntony (AFSCME) Marsha Zakowski stressed the importance ■ Appointing a representative in each ASVP - Marti Morn (CWA) PA: SVP - Barbara Barnes (UA) of solidarity and activism to counter the chapter to serve as liaison with the NEB’s ASVP - Janet Ryder (AFT) assault on workers’ rights. “With all the Young Women Workers Committee; TX: SVP - Tawn MacDonald (CWA) challenges before us—an adversary ■ Working to preserve affirmative ASVP - Ellen Wakefield (CWA) Administration that wants to weaken action and eliminate the exploitation and VA: SVP- Marjorie Brotherton (APWU) unions, civil rights, the FMLA—we as degradation of the rights of women, WA: SVP - Verlene Jones (OPEIU) ASVP - Dee Wakenight (ATU) union women ... will face them head-on, workers and minorities; spring 2006 CLUWNEWS 3 ■ LOCAL NEWS Pennsylvania It was at CLUW’s 2005 Convention in that Barbara Barnes (UA) CLUW MEMBERS MARK BLACK HISTORY MONTH learned about the Sister Study. The research project, which follows sisters uring February, Black History of women who have had breast can- Month, CLUW helped bring cer, is a national study to learn how Dnational attention to the her- environment and genes affect the itage, culture and contributions of chances of getting breast cancer. African Americans with informational Barbara’s sister Susan succumbed to displays and public presentations. breast cancer in 1994 at age 39, so In Pittsburgh, CLUW members were the retired union sprinkler pipefitter involved in the United Steelworkers signed on immediately. She is now Headquarters exhibit showcasing eight “The activities in Pittsburgh and helping the organization recruit addi- great American women: Dr. Maya Nashville brought USW and CLUW tional study participants. Any woman Angelou, Shirley Chisholm, Dr. Dorothy members together as they honored the between the ages of 35 and 74 whose Height, Alexis Herman, Barbara Jordan, significant contributions of black sister has or had breast cancer is eligi- , Cicely Tyson and Gloria T. women and union members through- ble, provided she herself has never Johnson, CLUW president from 1993 out history,” said CLUW President been diagnosed with the disease. until 2004. CLUW members at United Marsha Zakowski (USW). For more information, see the Sister Steelworkers’ Nashville headquarters Pictured at the Pittsburgh exhibit are Study website at www.sisterstudy.org commemorated Black History Month (from l.) William Eakin, Mary Moore, or call toll-free 877-474-7837. by posting biographical sketches about Kim Miller, Maxine Carter, Marsha “Black Women in Our History.” Zakowski, Janet Hill and Dan Bosh. PA AFL-CIO Convention The Pennsylvania AFL-CIO New York Convention passed two CLUW- “AIDS is still a problem that cries out sponsored resolutions in April, reports for a solution,” said New York City CLUW State Vice President Barbara Chapter CLUW members Carolyn Barnes, vice president to the Parker (CWA) and Arlene Tuff Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Executive Board. (AFSCME) as they staffed an informa- Pittsburgh CLUW Secretary Janet tion table on World AIDS Day. For the Hill (USW) spoke in favor of the reso- past 18 years the Women’s Committee lution endorsing HR 676, a bill that of AFSCME DC37 has used December 1 would implement a single payer to promote AIDS education, providing health care system in the U.S. by literature in many languages, red rib- expanding the Medicare system to bons and brightly colored condoms in every resident. The resolution was Metro-Detroit OPEIU/CLUW members wore the lobby of union headquarters. submitted by the Pittsburgh CLUW red on February 3 in observance of the Worldwide, the pandemic has cost Chapter which, along with American Heart Association’s “Go Red for 28 million lives and United Nations Philadelphia CLUW, had earlier Women Campaign.” Metro-Detroit CLUW officials estimate there will be 45 endorsed HR 676. President Millie Hall, who serves on the million new infections by 2010. Barnes spoke for the resolution Executive Leadership Committee for Heart titled FMLA: Present Threats and Disease, noted that heart disease is the Future Goals, and passed out CLUW number one killer of women, claiming the Under the leadership of President Karen E. lives of half a million women each year. Mickel, CLUW’s Greater Georgia Chapter postcards about the FMLA. (See pg. 1 has been lobbying the state legislature on about CLUW’s FMLA campaign.) behalf of HB 230, the Time for Schools Act, ▼ which would prohibit employers from penalizing parents who take time off for LUW is saddened to announce school functions (up to eight hours annually). The chapter’s Legislative Team is pictured Cthat long-time IBEW Local 1245 here attending Legislative Lobbying 101, Executive Board member and CLUW taught by the AFL-CIO’s Debra Scott and National Executive Board member, Charlie Flemming, president of the Atlanta - activist Kathy Tindall, died on North Georgia Labor Council. Seated (from April 18. The family has advised that left) are Beatrice Andrews, Kris Adkins, Phil anyone wishing to make a memorial Adkins, Larry Courtoy, Jane Donohue and donation may direct it to one of the David Sokolow, director of the Atlanta foundations fighting breast cancer. Electrical Contractors Assn. 4 CLUWNEWS spring 2006 ■ THANK YOU!

CLUW wishes to thank the following Lifetime ($1,000), Sustaining ($150) , Supporting ($100) and Contributing ($75) members. To become a special member of CLUW, please make your check payable to CLUW and mail to National Treasurer Judy Beard at the CLUW office. Your contribution will help empower women through the labor movement. Tammie Botelho (USW), in her third term on CLUW’s National Executive Board and co- chair of its Women In Leadership Committee, LIFETIME MEMBERS was elected to serve on the board of the Dina Beaumont CWA Connecticut AFL-CIO for the 2005-2007 Jerol D. Lackey UAW term. She is pictured flanked by state federa- SUSTAINING MEMBERS Middle Tennessee tion President John Olsen and Secretary- SEIU Middle Tennessee is home to the Treasurer Lori Pelletier. “The labor movement May Y. Chen UNITE-HERE desperately needs members with Tammie’s Barbara Walden BCTGM nation’s newest CLUW chapter, thanks dedication and abilities to step forward and Wisconsin Council 40 AFSCME to the efforts of Flo Sak (above, holding help us lead in the critical days and years Sheila Jones IAM charter), chapter president. On hand ahead,” Olsen said at her installation. Nanette M. Folsom OAPSE Robert Cooper AFSCME for the charter-signing ceremony at the Bennie R. Bridges AFGE USW Nashville headquarters was CLUW Cathy R. Hackett SEIU National President Marsha Zakowski. Tennessee AFL-CIO President Jerry Lee SUPPORTING MEMBERS Sue Levy UAW welcomed the group into the state Paul E. Fishburn IAM labor federation and promised the sup- Heather Kelley IAM port of Tennessee’s labor community. In Robin M. Bates AFGE JoAnn W. Harper AFT turn, Sak and Zakowski assured mem- Addie L. Wyatt UFCW bers that the newest CLUW chapter Robert Roach, Jr. IAM would be full participants in activities Melissa Nelson TNG/CWA Chicago CLUW President Katie Jordan Peggy Olstein TWU and events in Tennessee, especially (UNITE HERE) received the Working those promoting affirmative action in Women’s History Project’s 2006 Mother CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS the workplace and strengthening the Jones Award for her lifelong fight for work- Joan Somer IBT role of women in unions. ing women’s rights. Jordan, who as a tailor Mary Kay Henry SEIU Charlotte Sund IAM and Amalgamated Clothing Workers shop Joan E. Schrader IBT Orange County, CA steward in 1977 fought and won a battle William Danny Givens IAM for equal pay for the women fitters, was Eleanor G. Bailey APWU In March, Orange County, CA CLUW honored at a gala at Roosevelt University Charlie LaChance UFCW supported the fourth annual “Women on March 22. James R. Leaman Ironworkers Florence Tripi AFSCME Who Make a Difference in Orange Sal Luciano AFSCME County” awards ceremony. The evening CLUW Membership Application Donna Kennedy CWA featured a performance of the original Brigid O’Farrell UAW play “Speaking Up,” a look at the con- Larry Willis BCTGM Name______John Howard BCTGM tributions of women throughout Debbie Goldman CWA American history. The event was part of Address______Judy Bonior ASSOCIATE the Orange County Community Forum’s Jay A. Bormann IAM ______Women’s History Month celebration. James Rodehorst IAM Rob Minnich IAM City, State, ZIP______Joseph Greaser IAM

please copy or clip and return! Amy Gallo IAM Phone______David Eastburn IAM Earl Evans IAM ✃ E-mail______Christine Thompson AFSCME Lynn Tucker, Jr. IAM Intl Union______■ Regular Membership: $50 Local Union______■ Associate Membership: $50 ■ New Member: $35 for the first year Enclosed are my CLUW dues: $______■ Retired/Student/Unemployed: $15 ■ Gov. and Type of membership: ______Contributing Member: $75 Metro-Detroit CLUW President Millie Hall at ■ Supporting Member: $100 I am a member of a bona fide collective a Martin Luther King Jr. Day observance and ■

CLUW DUES Sustaining Member: $150 rally. CLUW was one of the endorsers of the ... bargaining organization. ■ Lifetime Member: $1,000 (one-time fee). event. Signature______spring 2006 CLUWNEWS 5 Rallying for immigrant rights Shown at the April 10 National Day of Action on Immigrant Rights event in Washington, DC are CLUW members and friends (from left) Danielle Shillam (of APWU), Naazima Ali of the Labor Heritage Foundation, Connie Cordovilla (AFT), Elise Bryant (CWA), Carol Rosenblatt (CLUW Executive Director) and Judy Beard (APWU-CLUW National Treasurer). CLUW mem- bers across the country participated in rallies that day to urge Congress to pursue comprehensive immigration reform legislation that provides a clear path to permanent residency for those hard-working immigrant families already here, respects human and worker rights and rejects harsh measures that criminalize individuals who come to this country to work.

EQUAL PAY DAY (continued from p. 8) ■ IN MEMORIAM On Equal Pay Day and beyond, CLUW chapters also have a legislative goal: the passage in Congress of the Fair Pay Act CLUW PAYS TRIBUTE TO DEDICATED FIGHTERS and the Paycheck Fairness Act. The first bill would prohibit wage discrimination for IN THE BATTLE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS work in “equivalent jobs” while requiring ver the past half-year, America has lost three women who were some employers to disclose their general among this era’s greatest activists on behalf of social justice. The job classifications and overall pay statis- actions of Rosa Parks sparked the modern civil rights movement. tics. The other proposal would strengthen O Coretta Scott King helped build that movement, then kept it on track fol- the Equal Pay Act of 1963 by allowing lowing the assassination of her husband, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. Betty tougher penalties and making it easier to Friedan wrote one of feminism’s most influential books, then helped found file class action lawsuits in sex discrimina- tion cases. Contact your lawmakers to get such important advocacy groups as the National Organization for Women their support for the Fair Pay Act and the National Women’s Political Caucus. (S840/HR1697) and the Paycheck Rosa Parks died last October, nearly 50 years after she was arrested for Fairness Act (S841/HR1687)—both defying laws that mandated racial segregation. Her refusal to yield her seat introduced last year on Equal Pay Day. on a Montgomery, Alabama bus led to a year-long bus boycott—which she helped organize along with Martin Luther King and E.D. Nixon, a leader from the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Maids. In fact, in her six decades as a community leader and activist, trade unionists had prominent roles in many of the struggles in which she played such a courageous part. Coretta Scott King—who passed away in January—was the matriarch of the civil rights movement. While her husband was alive, she worked closely with him, organizing marches and sit-ins while raising their four children. After his assassination in 1968, she founded the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change to help make his dream a real- ity. She also rallied the nation to establish a national holiday in honor of her husband. Workers’ rights and women’s equality were always high on her agenda. Just four days after Dr. King’s murder, she led a march of 50,000 people through Memphis in support of a strike of sanitation work- ers. She often spoke out in favor of full employment and was a strong advocate of economic justice for women. CLUW President Marsha Zakowski received the More than four decades before she died in February, Betty Friedan Pennsylvania AFL-CIO Union Woman of the Year launched the women’s liberation movement by writing The Feminine award on April 6 at the Work and Family Breakfast held during the state labor federa- Mystique, making the case that “American women are kept from growing tion’s convention. Presenting the award are PA to their full human capacities,” thus taking a toll on their physical and AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Blooming- mental health. Three years later, she worked to found “an NAACP for dale (r.), the officer liaison with the Work and women,”establishing the National Organization for Women and becoming Family Committee, and President William George, who announced that CLUW will have represen- its first president. In what she called the movement’s “second stage,” she tation at all levels of the AFL-CIO within the encouraged women to work with men to support strong families through state and that he and President Zakowski will such reforms as flexible work schedules and parental leave and developed work together to build CLUW chapters within the concept of “equal pay for work of comparable value.” the regions of the Area Labor Federations.

6 CLUWNEWS spring 2006 CLUW applauds ■ HEALTH TIP from the CLUW Women’s Health Committee: Michigan’s effort on TEST PREDICTS PRE-TERM LABOR contraceptive equity orking during pregnancy can be healthy and rewarding. But it can also hen Sen. Martha Scott intro- be a source of anxiety, especially if a woman is at risk for preterm birth. Wduced two bills in the Michigan WUsually pregnancy lasts an average of 40 weeks. Babies born before 37 State Senate in February that would weeks are considered “preterm.” require health insurance plans to A woman can find out if she is at risk of giving birth prematurely through the include coverage for prescribed con- Fetal Fibronectin Test. The test can be a valuable asset in planning for one’s health traceptive drugs and devices, CLUW needs and level of activity during a pregnancy. responded with enthusiastic support. Fetal fibronectin is a protein substance that binds fetal membranes to the uterus. In a letter endorsing Michigan The protein can be found in the vagina when a woman’s body gets ready to give Senate Bills 431 and 432, National birth. A sterile swab is used to collect a sample of the secretions which is sent to a CLUW President Marsha Zakowski lab. A negative (normal) test result means the woman can be assured she is not at told Sen. Scott that “CLUW has risk for giving birth within the next two weeks. This can be a great relief to a woman been on record in support of who wants to be active but fears she may have to stay in bed or restrict her activi- Contraceptive Equity since 1997. As ties unnecessarily. a result of CLUW’s work on this According to Adeza, the company that provides the test, women who test nega- issue, the National AFL-CIO tive at the 24th week of pregnancy have 99.8% assurance that they will not deliver endorsed contraceptive equity in in the next four weeks. On the other hand, women who tested positive were nearly 2001 and subsequently amended its 60 times more likely to deliver within four weeks. These women were urged to fol- insurance plan to include it.” low closely the instructions of their doctor or nurse-midwife to help the pregnancy President Zakowski added that continue. CLUW works with states such as The Fetal Fibronectin Test is FDA-approved for use in women from 22 to 35 weeks Michigan that do not have state of pregnancy. The test can be repeated every one or two weeks if risk factors are mandates supporting contraceptive present. Check with your health insurer to see if it covers this test. equity to adopt them. —Helen Ramirez-Odell, RN Using women’s health issues One member taking to mobilize workers action benefits 6,800

amika Felder addressed the 3rd Annual NJ WILD (Women in obin Llewellyn, a mem- Leadership Development) Conference, whose co-sponsors ber of the Masters, Tinclude the NJ AFL-CIO and CLUW. Tamika, a member of RMates and Pilots AFSCME in Washington, DC, where she is an award-winning tel- Union, was unaware of evision producer, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in May CLUW when she discovered 2001 at the age of 25. After beating this deadly disease, Tamika her health plan did not has used her experience to help educate other women about cover prescription contracep- ways to prevent it. tion drugs. Tired of paying In January 2005, the CLUW member created Tamika and $200 a year out of pocket Friends (www.tamikaandfriends.org), a nonprofit organization for birth control, Robin pur- designed to raise awareness about cervical cancer and its link to sued a legal strategy. About 10 days before she was the human papillomavirus. She travels the country on her mis- to appear before the MM&P health plan board of sion of HPV and cervical cancer awareness, which she shared trustees, she contacted CLUW—which was able, with these women union leaders. CLUW’s Cervical Cancer through its personal union contacts, to have a union Prevention Works colleague speak to the union president. He must have Director Carolyn been convinced, because three days before the meet- Jacobson also spoke at ing, Robin was informed that her union added contra- that session, titled ception to its prescription drug coverage. (For more “Mobilizing Around about CLUW’s Contraceptive Equity Project, see our Women’s Health Issues.” website at www.cluw.org/contraceptive.html.)

2006 SUMMER SCHOOLS FOR UNION WOMEN: see www.cluw.org

spring 2006 CLUWNEWS 7 ■ EQUAL PAY DAY ACTIVISTS VOW TO END UNDERVALUING OF WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

merica’s union women are in Women/USA and other national crimination is another major cause, the forefront of the fight to organizations to launch the WAGE abetted by “wage secrecy” that allows Aclose the gender gap in wages. Project (the acronym stands for women to be underpaid without So, as this edition of CLUW News Women Are Getting Even). Across the knowing it. While differences in educa- went to press, CLUW chapters were country, WAGE Clubs are being formed tion, experience or time in the work- preparing for a day of activism on to mobilize women to raise the issue force contribute to the gender gap, Equal Pay Day, Tuesday, April 25. and turn indignation into action. research published by the Council of Why that date? Well, to get the These clubs provide CLUW members Economic Advisors estimated that as same pay that men earned on average with an excellent opportunity to work much as one third of the gap cannot last year, women had to work nearly together with allies in their local com- be explained by such factors. four additional months—to April 25. munities to address pay inequity. Another way to raise women’s pay is In other words, in 2005 women work- According to economist$ and WAGE to recruit them into unions. The Bureau ers were paid only 77 cents for every Project President Evelyn Murphy, the of Labor Statistics reports dramatic dollar a man received. wage gap costs the average American differences in the compensation of This year, Equal Pay Day marks the full-time woman worker between women with full-time, salaried posi- kick-off of a new initiative dedicated $700,000 and $2 million over the tions depending on whether they are to closing the wage gap. CLUW has course of her lifetime. union members. In 2005, union women always worked in close collaboration The wage gap persists partly earned 31 percent more than their non- with the National Committee on Pay because so many women have jobs union counterparts. For Latinas, the Equity—and now NCPE is combining that have historically been underval- contrast was even sharper. with Business and Professional ued as “women’s work.” Simple dis- (continued on page 6)

Coalition of Labor Union Women PERIODICAL 815 16th St. NW, 2nd floor south POSTAGE PAID Washington, DC 20006

CLUW HAS MOVED!

Coalition of Labor Union Women 815 16th St. NW, 2nd floor south Washington, DC 20006 phone: 202-508-6969 fax: 202-508-6968 e-mail: [email protected]

www.cluw.org