Union endorses gay marriage in Washington state

[w8liftinglady]

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2011/10/20/union-endorses-gay-marriage-in-washington-state/

Washington’s largest private sector union, UCFW 21, on Thursday said it will support efforts to legalize gay marriage in Washington state next year.

“Domestic partnerships were a giant step forward and provided working families with important protections. However, only marriage can provide gay and lesbian couples and their children legal rights that provide essential protections such as social security, spousal and survivor benefits,” the 35,000-member union, which represents people in the retail and health care sectors, said in a statement.


Last month a poll conducted by Seattle political consulting firm Strategies 360 found support for gay marriage marriage in Washington state at at 54-35.

In 2007 the Washington Legislature passed a domestic partnership law, which provided inheritance rights in cases where there was no will, hospital visitation rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations. In 2009, lawmakers passed an “everything but marriage” bill, greatly expanding the rights of same-sex couples to include things like workers’ compensation coverage, the right to use sick leave to care for a spouse, victims’ rights, including the right to receive notifications and benefits allowances.