Statement from UAW Region 9A Locals: Everyone Deserves Access to Reproductive Freedom and Healthcare

#WeWontGoBack

Everyone Deserves Access to Reproductive Freedom and Healthcare

Not unexpectedly, but still shockingly,  the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v Wade decision effectively eliminating women’s* and people who are transgender, inter-sex and non-binary able to bear children, federally guaranteed rights to privacy and unrestricted reproductive healthcare despite that upwards of 69% of Americans oppose the Court completely overturning the decision. 

UAW Region 9A locals are outraged

As of today, women's control over their own bodies is more vulnerable than ever before to the political and ideological whims of the states in which they live. 

For decades, Roe v Wade has given women the freedom to choose how many children to have, when to have them and in turn have control over how these decisions impact their work, education, and family life.  

Reproductive rights are intertwined with workplace rights, economic security and racial justice in ways that require unions and businesses to take note and speak out.  

According to the Center for American Progress, despite the gains made since abortion was legalized, the promise of Roe v. Wade has not been fully realized for women of color who experience racism and discrimination in the U.S. health care system. 

Some statistics: 

Women of color are more likely to live in states with the most restrictive abortion laws;

Women of color are more likely to work in low wage, hourly jobs - traveling or crossing state lines to get reproductive care will lead to lost wages, longer absences and more jobs lost;

Women of color are more likely to experience barriers to abortion and other reproductive and maternal health services, including contraception, maternity care, and screenings for reproductive cancers;

Black women are dying at three to four times the rate of white women due to pregnancy-related issues;

Both black women and Latinas experience higher rates of unintended pregnancy than their white counterparts;

Cultural issues, stereotypes, and fear can cause Asian American and Pacific Islander women to forgo reproductive health care; 

Abortion can be cost-prohibitive for any woman who lacks insurance coverage or the financial means to pay out of pocket - both of which are more likely for women of color; 

With 67 million women experiencing pre-existing health conditions, striking down the Affordable Care Act’s consumer protections, along with overturning Roe v. Wade, will compound the harmful impacts on all women but disproportionately women of color.

It’s not a leap at all to understand that reproductive rights are workplace rights and that without these rights women, people able to bear children and their families economic security are at risk.

Having access to reproductive care and abortions enables women to stay in the workforce or educational track so they can get the degree, skills and experience needed to be gainfully employed and economically secure. The inability to choose when and whether to have children will directly impact women’s financial stability and career paths. Women will cross state lines, lose jobs, lose pay, engage in risky behavior and more with Roe being overturned.  

So while we raise our voices, share our fears and take to the streets to protect our reproductive freedom, unions must take the lead on the fight for universal healthcare that includes reproductive care, universal childcare, good wages, paid sick and family leave and more - all things that unions fight for every day.

UAW Region 9A locals stand together for ALL women and people able to bear children, to have the right to make decisions about their bodies, their healthcare and their future. 

UAW Region 9A local unions stand in solidarity with lawmakers pushing to codify Roe v Wade

UAW Region 9A #WontGoBack

UAW Local 1596 - Kathy Melish, President

UAW Local 2320 - Pam Smith, President - National Organization of Legal Services Workers

UAW Local 259 - Brian Schneck, President

UAW Local 376 - Craig Smith, President

UAW Local 1850 - Mayra Munoz, President

UAW Local 2322 - Patrick Burke, President

UAW Local 2377 - Renford Whynes, President - City of Stamford 

UAW Local 5118 - Koby Ljunggren, President - Harvard Graduate Student Union

UAW Local 7902 - Zoe Carey, President - ACT UAW

UAW Local 2110 - Maida Rosenstein, President

UAW Local 4100 - Cora Bergantinos Crespo, President - Columbia University Post Doc Union

UAW Local 2179 - Vilma Torres Mulholland, President

UAW Local 2325 - Lisa Ohta, President - Association of Legal Aid Attorneys

UAW Local 2324 - Zak Bos, President - Boston University Technical, Office Professional

UAW Region 9A - Beverley Brakeman, Regional Director

*In referring to women, we acknowledge this as a binary that is not gender inclusive.  We recognize that the overturning of Roe v Wade impacts all people able to bear children including people who are transgender, non-binary and inter-sex.  Because many of the statistics we cite use the term woman, we have used that in this statement with the acknowledgment that in no way is this statement intended to exclude anyone who will be impacted by this decision.

cg/opeiu494afl-cio