Stop the Assault on Public Sector Workers

Feminist Majority supports collective bargaining rights and is a member of several coalitions supporting workers’ rights. Women who are in a union earn, on average, 11.2% more than their non-union counterparts, and often have increased access to childcare, job security, and paid time off.

In recent years, state legislators have introduced hundreds of bills attacking the collective bargaining rights of public workers, from “right-to-work” laws limiting unions’ right to organize to “paycheck protection” bills barring unions from political participation.

Women represent the majority, nearly 60 percent, of public workers at the state and local level, and have a special stake in the outcome of state-level battles to restrict collective bargaining rights. Women are in the majority in a number of professions represented in the public sector. For example, the Coalition of Labor Union Women says 80% of teachers and 95% of nurses are women.

Statewide coalitions such as We Are Wisconsin and We Are Ohio harnessed labor and community support to advocate for a decent standard of living for public employees as well as retention of public services that these employees provide. Check out your state coalitions and get involved!

In the August 7th, 2018 Missouri primary, the voters rejected Proposition A, the state’s ballot Measure proposing a “Right to Work” bill was defeated by a massive 67% to 33% margin. Moreover this victory for labor was with the highest vote turnout in the state in a decade.