May 14, 2007
For immediate release

For further information contact:
Jamie Horwitz, 202/549-4921
jhdcpr@starpower.net

Here are a couple ideas to consider: Let’s bar left- handed people from employment. Maybe we can legislate against redheads. Sound absurd? These ideas make about as much sense as laws currently on the books in 33 states that allow gay, lesbian and bisexual workers to be fired because of who they are rather than their performance on the job or laws in 44 states that allow employers to fire transgender workers in a similar fashion.

You can’t just wish discrimination away. The civil rights movement taught us that. We need a federal law that protects workers not only from discrimination in the workplace but from the evil of discriminatory and antiquated state laws as well. The Employment Non-Discrimination Act is the law we need and we need it now.

This week, many TWU members will be coming to Washington to lobby Congress. We are putting the full support of our 130,000 members behind the idea that our society benefits when workplaces are open and diverse and workers are freed from the fear of unfair dismissals.  

Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) represents 130,000 workers, primarily in commercial aviation, public transportation and passenger railroads. The union is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.