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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 6, 2002)
kUiisiisivininetvs PH O TO BY JIM D ridc at Work— the Oregon chapter of the national gay, lesbian, hi and trans caucus of the AFL-CIO— educates and advocates specifically for queer ««W workers hut not exclusively for them. Christa Orth, a member who joined this past summer, is working to educate people on its existence and purpose. “We’re a democratic organizing model that is inclusive of all people who are marginalized in society: gays, people of color, women, old people, people with disabilities, etc.,” she says. “We are one of the most progressive organiza tions in the country, so we work on issues of economics and class, social justice, anti-racism, transphobia issues and the like. So we’re in a lot of different places. When someone comes and joins PAW, they’re not just fighting for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people; they’re fighting for the rights of all peo ple who want respect and dignity in what they do.” Some of the numerous resources PAW pro vides are support to community campaigns and local labor struggles, assistance in developing leadership skills and practical organizing experi ences, and information on how to deal with work-related harassment. The chapter also holds general meetings once a month. PAW Oregon just was chartered as an official affinity group at the state AFL-CIO convention last spring. Since then members have had some notable successes. They were able to get the state AFL-CIO and the Vancouver AFL Central labor council to affiliate, and they solidified a partnership with Basic Rights Oregon on their Fair Workplace Project. With those successes, Joe Kear, a longtime member of the national PAW and a co-founder T aking P ride O ne S tep B eyond AFL-CIO chapter battles for queer rights on the job by A n th o n y D av is of the Oregon chapter, says one of his biggest challenges will he getting the word out to poten tial new members. “The best place for us to start is to call all the local unions around and to see if we can present to them a short presentation so that they can know about us. Also, going to events in the community and letting people know that this group exists and ask people to sign up with us.” The Pacific Northwest shares a rich history of queer activism that is unknown to many. Workers’ rights and gay rights always have con verged in one way or another. “ I think it’s important to show people that this is not a brand new movement,” says Orth, who wrote her m asters thesis on queer union activism. “Even though the Oregon chapter o f PAW is not a year old, this type of activism has been going on for decades right here. For instance, Seattle Library Workers got the sexual orientation law put in their nondiscrimination clause in their union con tract in 1974 and was one of the first unions to have that provision in their contract. It’s important for people to know the history and that we have a foundation to build on. We just have to organize and do it, and the world would be a much bet ter place for every- H one. Making the world a better place might be difficult in certain Joe Rear (left, with L.C . and Ari Hansen at Creating Change) has areas. Som e people, high hopes for Pride at Work Oregon especially those who are in the trades or more traditional blue- nity know it’s here to help them, PAW has many collar jobs, find it difficult to come out in goals it wants to accomplish. Rear envisions the the workplace. chapter promoting policies that prohibit harass ment and discrimination not just on paper but “Right now we just talk to people about PAW and let them know that it’s a resource if in practice, helping implement labor safeguards they are having trouble,” Orth says. “But I’m via statewide legislation. Members also hope to never one to tell people to just come out, help people in low-wage jobs create unions at their workplaces. J H because I know there are real issues and people can get fired or beat up. But when queer work ers hear others talk about our coming-out expe P ride at W ork O regon will discuss last month's riences at work and how we dealt with it, it real Creating Change conference and plan activities for ly inspires people, and I think they start feeling next year 6:30 p.m. Dec. I Oat Communication better about themselves. I’ve heard people in Workers of America, 2950 S .E . Stark St. You the trades especially talk about how it’s really don’t need to be a union member; everyone is hard coming out, but they don’t regret it at all, welcome. For more information call Christa Orth and it’s made their working situations and work at 503-231-5759 or Joe Kear at 503-757-8907 or ing environment much better. I can’t say that’s visit www.prideatwork.org. the case in every situation.” Besides letting the sexual minorities commu A nthony D avis is a Portland free-lance writer. »lístate. 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