For Pride Month this year, the AFL-CIO is spotlighting various LGBTQ+ workers who have worked and continue to work at the intersection of civil and labor rights in the United States. Today's profile is Dawnya Ferdinandsen of the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW).
Dawnya Ferdinandsen is a member of UAW Local 14 in Toledo, Ohio. She was one of the first women committee members in her local and advocated for wrongfully discharged members, helping to file grievances and make members whole. She has served as the local’s education director and created the first-ever podcast to educate and encourage member engagement in the union’s standing committees. She serves as the vice president of Pride At Work’s Ohio chapter and is an activist who advocates for equity and justice for all workers. She owns and operates her own roofing and construction company, the only woman to do so within her county.