Date: Sun, 03 Nov 1996 10:05:16 -0500 From: Maggie Heineman Subject: PA Alert: November 14, Protest against Chrysler NOVEMBER 14 IS A DAY OF PROTEST AT CHRYSLER DEALERS (first round of picketing in the Campaign for Equal Rights at Chrysler) I serve as webmaster for the Campaign for Equal Rights at Chrysler http://www.critpath.org/chrysler-campaign/ I am also the Philadelphia Contact for the press conference/picketing in Philadelphia (1100 S. Broad). 5:30 Rally, Press Conference 6 pm (sharp) If you are in Philadelphia and would like to participate, send me email with the subject line "Phila Chrysler Campaign." If you are elsewhere in Pennsylvania and would like to participate, send me email with the subject line "Penna Chrysler Campaign." Thanks in advance, ============== CHRYSLER REFUSES Chrysler has refused to give equal rights to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered Persons. Chrysler refused to accept the demand of the United Auto Workers to add the two words "sexual orientation" to the contract for equal protection. The October 28, 1996 Wall Street Journal reported Chrysler's excuses for rejecting the United Auto Workers demand by quoting Tony Cervone, a Chrysler labor spokesman: "Chrysler prohibits discrimination and will not tolerate harassment of or retaliation against any person in the workplace ... by singling out any one group, we would be implicitly excluding others. That's the fundamental reason why we didn't see a need to make the change." The Campaign for Equal Rights at Chrysler rejects this excuse. Chrysler's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered employees live in fear. They will not have respectful treatment and protection until they are specifically named in the contract and all internal company policies. The reason is simple: what we refuse to name, we refuse to recognize. In 1990 Chrysler employee Ron Woods helped organize a Cracker Barrel protest in Michigan. The publicity lead to harassment at work. Later he was elected as the first openly gay union delegate. In that capacity he persuaded the union to approve a resolution adding sexual orientation to the non-discrimination language of the contract. Chrysler refused to add the words "sexual orientation" to the contract. Meanwhile, harassment of sexual minority employees continues. In order to convince Chrysler to take steps already taken by other auto manufacturers, there have been protests at Chrysler headquarters and dealerships. A worldwide protest at dealerships is planned for November 14. ------ Maggie Heineman webmaster: PFLAG-Talk/TGS-PFLAG http://www.critpath.org/pflag-talk/ The Rhea Murray Website http://www.critpath.org/rhea/ The Chrysler Campaign http://www.critpath.org/chrysler-campaign/