Women and Labor Unions in the 21st Century

Posted by on May 15, 2004

Please join us for a panel & discussion on
Women and Labor Unions in the 21st Century

Women have never been more prominent in the leadership of the American labor movement than today. Currently four international unions are headed by women (Screen Actors Guild, Association of Flight Attendants, American Federation of Teachers, United American Nurses) and Linda Chavez-Thompson is the Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO. Moreover, the percentage of women in labor unions continues to rise.

In 2003, women represented 43% of all union members nationwide. Today over 6.7 million women are members of unions making the labor movement the largest political organization of women in America today.

Just as Women’s Caucuses are an important part of most international unions, some unions have become active supporters of the fight for women’s rights. AFSCME, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and UFCW co-sponsored the recent 1,000,000+ strong March for Women’s Lives. Similarly, feminist organizations have recognized the centrality of labor issues to women’s lives. NOW has launched the Women Friendly Workplace Campaign to fight workplace discrimination such as that propagated by Wal-Mart, the nation’s largest employer.

What do labor unions mean for women in America in the 21st century? And, what do women mean for the labor movement in the years ahead? How do the issues of organized labor and women interact? These topics and more to be discussed.

Speakers:
Dr. Silke Roth, Penn Asst. Professor in Sociology, author of Building Movement Bridges: The Coalition of Labor Union Women (2003).

Kathy Black, President, Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women Chapter; Occupational Health and Safety Director of AFSCME District Council 47.

Alaine Williams, J.D., Philadelphia labor lawyer, Willig, Williams, and Davidson; Former Executive Director of the Florida Commission on Human Relations.

Moderator:
Janice Bellace, J.D., Associate Provost of the University of Pennsylvania; Samuel A. Blank Professor of Legal Studies; Professor of Management; Director, Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business; Member of the UAW Public Review Board.

Thursday, May 20th
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Penn’s Women Center
3643 Locust Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6230
(215) 898-8611

Refreshments will be provided by the Penn’s Women Center.
Please RSVP: Michael Janson, janson AT sas.upenn.edu

Sponsored by: Penn Women’s Center, Christian Association, GET-UP/AFT, Penn Women’s Studies Program, Women’s Consortium, PA NOW, Philadelphia Area Jobs with Justice, Philadelphia Coalition of Labor Union Women