>From: International Gay Lesbian Human Rights Commission >Date: 18 Jun 94 17:25 PDT Now here is an interesting notion of domestic partnership! Ken ----------------------------Original message---------------------------- NEW Spanish Airline Denies Benefits to Partner of Gay Employee Despite guarantees in the union treaty extending benefits to the unmarried partners of its employees, IBERIA Airlines has denied a gay man's attempt to access employee benefits for his lover. Letters protesting IBERIA's overt heterosexism are needed to pressure the public company into a position of non-discrimination. Article 137.8 of the collective bargaining agreement currently in force at IBERIA specifically affords unmarried partners of employees access to reduced airfares. Nonetheless, when a gay employee asked in June of 1993 that the benefits be extended to his lover he was refused. IBERIA maintains that according to the company's standards such benefits do not extend to lesbian and gay couples. The employee filed a legal complaint before the courts in Madrid alleging that IBERIA's actions contradict the collective bargaining agreement in force, Article 14 of the Spanish Constitution (guaranteeing equality to all citizens), and various recommendations and declarations issued by the United Nations, the European Parliament, the Spanish Parliament and the Assembly of the City of Madrid. The local court ruled against the plaintiff in November of 1993. The employee has appealed the case to the Spanish Supreme Court. The case has gained a good deal of sympathetic public attention in Spain. The timing of this is particularly significant because it comes so soon after the successful passage by the European Parliament of the "Resolution on equal rights for homosexuals and lesbians in the EAU (A3-0028/94)." That resolution calls on member states to grant the same legal benefits and protections to lesbian and gay partnerships that heterosexual partnerships enjoy. If IBERIA is allowed to continue withholding partnership benefits to its lesbian and gay employees it will be sending a powerful message that right wing opposition to the recommendations of the European Parliament is effective. Strongly worded letters are needed making the following points: 1. IBERIA is clearly interpreting its collective bargaining agreement in a rigid and discriminatory fashion. It is unacceptable that a public company would practice this sort of anti-lesbian and gay discrimination. 2. The recent recommendation of the European Parliament (the Resolution on equal rights for homosexuals and lesbians in the EAU (A3-0028/94)) clearly asks that member states recognize the legal parity of lesbians and gays with heterosexuals. Ignoring this recommendation, when compliance would cost the company nothing, can be explained by nothing else then the most mean spirited heterosexism. Letters to: Dr. Javier Salas, Presidente de la empresa publica Iberia, Velzquez 130, 28006 Madrid, SPAIN