AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler released the following statement on the impact of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization on working women on the decision’s second anniversary:
In overturning Roe v. Wade, the Trump majority on the U.S. Supreme Court defied nearly 50 years of settled law to rob workers of the freedom to make our own health care decisions. Dobbs unleashed a shockwave of hardship for workers and our families, some of whom had to miss work and travel out of state just to see a doctor. Access to reproductive health care is critical to women’s economic security, and the ability to make our own decisions about our lives and careers. It is also a fundamental collective bargaining issue, and the AFL-CIO is proud to have helped lead the charge for comprehensive health coverage in union contracts.
Good union jobs equip working women with the tools to fight gender discrimination—from closing the wage gap to ensuring paid family leave and restoring reproductive freedom. These rights were won over decades, and we have no intention of conceding them now.
The chaos sparked by Dobbs has led to deadly consequences, with women of color and working-class families—who already are disproportionately burdened with barriers to accessible health care—experiencing the most harm. The AFL-CIO remains fully committed to gender and economic equity, and we stand united against attacks on our fundamental freedoms.
Contact: Riley Lopez, 202-637-5018