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Stewards Corner: Abortion Restrictions, What Can the Union Do?
Reproductive health care affects members, spouses, and children of members and should be a priority for stewards. Photo: Victoria Pickering, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 DEED.
January 25, 2024 / Kari Thompson
At Local 911, Chief Steward Emma woke up to an angry text from member Jane about having her time off request refused by the boss.
Emma followed up with Jane at work later that day. “Look, Emma, this isn’t just a request to go have fun,” Jane said. “I need to take my daughter over to Pennsylvania to get an abortion, and we have to wait there for 24 hours before she can have the procedure. You know my kid—she’s got big hopes and dreams, and she doesn’t want to have a kid right now. I’ve got to go with her, but I don’t want to lose my job over this.”
Emma confirmed that Jane was eligible for paid time off; the boss had simply refused to grant the request.
Emma confronted the boss about his denial. “Hyde, Jane needs this time off to help a family member with a medical procedure,” Emma said. “You gave Bruce time off to stay home with his daughter Jody when she needed her appendix out. How is this any different?”
FULL story: https://labornotes.org/blogs/2024/01/stewards-corner-abortion-restrictions-what-can-union-do