SENATE VOTE FOR EQUAL MARRIAGE BILL DOWN TO THE WIRE; LABOR PULLS OUT ALL THE STOPS

MARRIAGE EQUALITY SUPPORTERS RALLY FOR EQUAL RIGHTS
On May 9, well over 1,200 labor and progressive activsts came to Albany to
advocate for workplace rights.  The event was sponsored by Empire State Pride Agenda.
photo:  Ove Overmyer

New York-- Seven powerful labor unions have thrown their support behind same-sex marriage in the Empire State. They join 56 other labor organizations that have sided with marriage equality proponents in support of marriage equality legislation.  The legislative session is scheduled to end June 20.

ESPA Ex. Dir. Ross Levi, Esq. rallies
Equality and Justice Day attendees
on May 9.  photo: Ove Overmyer

Last week, Ross Levi, the executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, appeared with representatives of the Capital District Area Labor Federation, Civil Service Employees Association, Public Employees Federation, New York State United Teachers, Service Employees International Union, Bricklayers and Allied Craft workers Local #2 and Capital District Chapter of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement to announce their support for a same-sex marriage law this session.

"Unions stand for fairness for all New Yorkers of all backgrounds and for ensuring that our society treats everyone with dignity and justice and respect," said Levi to labor leaders. "Unions stand for taking action and making sure that our voices are heard by the powerful, and you provide the leadership and resources to make that happen. In short, unions stand for doing the right thing, and marriage equality is the right thing for New York."

Some of the union representatives called same-sex marriage one of the defining civil rights issues of this age.

"On behalf of the 120,000 union members and their families here in the Capital District that we represent as a federation, we today strongly urge the members of the New York state Legislature to do the right thing-- as we are-- and adopt the marriage equality act now," said Mary Sullivan, president of the Capital District Area Labor Federation.

The Public Employees Federation says marriage equality legislation would eliminate a divide in the state based on sexual orientation. SEIU, in addition to affirming its position in favor of same-sex marriage, announced that as a union, it is pushing for pension benefits for same-sex couples.

"We will not accept anything less than total equality," said Mike Lonigro, the secretary-treasurer of SEIU Local 200. "As we speak, we are in contract negotiations where we are demanding, among other things, the right for employees to make their same-sex partners in life eligible pension beneficiaries. Marriage equality in New York state would make this a non-issue and would free us up to negotiate for other important matters."

"The Public Employees Federation strongly supports the passage of the marriage bill," said PEF Vice President Thomas Comanzo. "The time is now for the New York state Legislature to pass this law and eliminate the second-class citizen status forced upon tens of thousands of people who are law-abiding, tax-paying voters who support the localities, counties and cities where they live in our fair state."

CSEA reaffirms its commitment to all its members

CSEA has also affirmed its position in favor of same-sex marriage and called on the Legislature to pass marriage equality legislation.

"This is a defining civil rights issue of our time," said CSEA President Danny Donohue in a prepared statement. "We are announcing our support of the marriage equality act in the hope that it will encourage state lawmakers to search their consciences and do what is right to approve this legislation."

"Our president stated yesterday, and he's right, this is the defining civil rights issue of our time, we absolutely agree with that. We are hoping and praying that the legislators will do the right thing." said Denise Berkley, the statewide secretary of CSEA.

A Quinnipiac University poll just released shows 58 percent of New Yorkers are in favor of same-sex marriage, whereas 36 percent are opposed, compared to the 56-38 split reported by Quinnipiac in April.

This change of 2 percent represents the highest support for same-sex marriage in New York, but statistically the change means little. While support for same-sex marriage is up, same-sex marriage is not the constituents' biggest priority for the remaining days in this session.

"New Yorkers support same-sex marriage, but their top priorities are the property tax cap and ethics reform," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. The poll of 1,257 registered voters has a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.

New York State United Teachers members said they support same-sex marriage legislation because of the consistent message it sends to the children they teach.

"We educate children about civil rights and about basic fairness, about equality and non-discrimination, and this is the opportunity that we ask our legislators to walk the walk and do the right thing," said NYSUT Secretary-Treasurer Lee Cutler.

Local labor unions will hold a press conference in Rochester June 9

The Rochester labor community will be holding its own Marriage Equality press conference on June 9 at NYSUT, 30 Union Place, Rochester, N.Y. at noon.  Details of the event are still in development.  Sources tell the Voice Reporter that this press conference will be a direct appeal to area state senators, warning them that union support in future elections is contingent on their vote to pass a marriage equality bill.