UFCW OUTreach webinar advocates for stronger LGBTQ+ worker protections

Toronto – March 4, 2021 – UFCW OUTreach Executive Board members teamed up with the UCLA Labor Centre and led over one-hundred participants on a journey to LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion at work.  The webinar follows completion of the historic study conducted by UCLA Labour Center and UFCW OUTreach entitled, Union Values and LGBTQ+ Worker Experiences: A Survey of UFCW Workers in the US and Canada.

“UFCW Canada is committed to dismantling workplace barriers. When you find it hard to bring your whole self to work, it impacts your sense of safety,” says Paul Meinema, UFCW Canada National President. “Strengthening collective bargaining language and increasing workplace education on LGBTQ+ issues are critical to establishing robust workplace protections for all workers.”

Among the many important benefits unions promote, the UCLA study found that unions also provide a necessary layer of workplace protections specific to LGBTQ+ workers.

 “Without question, when we train local union representatives, members, and demand that LGBTQ+ rights are a component of management-received training, we elevate the equity standards and fairness for all workers on the job,” says Michele Kessler, UFCW OUTreach Chair. “Training and education are a big part of why UFCW OUTreach exists in the union movement and why we matter.”

To watch the full webinar, click here. Visit OUTreach and follow on Facebook.