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The Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO, is honoring Women’s History Month this March, reaffirming our commitment to achieving full equality for women in the workplace and celebrating the vital role women play in improving labor standards for all working people.

This year is proving a difficult one for women as hard-won federal protections are threatened and the powerful are newly emboldened to silence women's voices. History teaches us only women can lead us out of moments like this — and that nothing threatens patriarchy more than a unionized woman.

“Women's history is not just about the famous names we learn in textbooks. It's about the millions of women whose everyday work, leadership and courage are often unseen and have shaped our communities, workplaces and society,” said Stephanie Burkey, an OPEIU Local 30 steward at Kaiser Permanente. "Women who advocate for themselves are often unfairly labeled as rude. Let this be your reminder to keep standing up for yourself. You have the right to be heard, the right to be treated with respect and professionalism and the right to set clear boundaries.”

The third No Kings demonstration is being held March 28. With our rights at stake, it’s never been more important to make your voice heard on the issues you care about. OPEIU is a proud partner of No Kings and we encourage you to get involved, let your local union know you’re participating and bring a co-worker (or several!) on March 28.

Click here to find a No Kings demonstration on March 28 near you. 

Do you think the federal government should support union creatives across the country working on projects to uplift their local communities? Then tell your U.S. Representative to support increased funding to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Give their office a call and sign the letter: Tell Your Representative to Support Increased Federal Arts Funding for FY27 - Action Network 

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With labor unions under attack from the federal government, yet more popular with Americans than ever, now is clearly not a good time for state legislators to pile on. But that is what happened earlier this month when state senators, following the lead of Governor Spanberger, ignored the call from labor unions and the NAACP to repeal Virginia’s most infamous and effective union-busting embarrassment, its so-called “right-to-work” law. By allowing SB 32 to die in committee, legislators on both sides of the aisle missed a vital opportunity to support workers at a time when they are under attack from all sides.

The only rights this 1947 law gives us are the right to silence our voice in the workplace, the right to be denied a living wage and the right to accept these conditions as unchangeable. The law, as it stands, is designed to deprive unions of the resources needed to help Virginia workers form unions of their own and win better wages, benefits and working conditions.

As a result, Virginia’s union membership rates are half the nationwide rate of 10%.

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