Fri, 06/24/2022 - 8:30pm

Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney released the following statement on today’s Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade: “While today’s Supreme Court ruling overturning of Roe v. Wade comes as no surprise to most who paid attention to the most recent supreme court confirmations, it is nevertheless a terrible blow to privacy and freedoms held by women for the past 50 years under Roe.

The right to control what happens to her body is a fundamental element of a woman’s economic, emotional and physical security.

“We know from history that this decision will only widen existing racial and economic disparities and that the burdens will fall disproportionately on marginalized and low income women and families. We know from history that the restrictions to health care access and options that this decision allows will cost the lives of women.

“Maine law currently protects women’s reproductive healthcare rights, but they are at risk without the the additional constitutional protection that Roe provided. What was already needed – expanded access to affordable childcare and paid family and medical leave, as well as access to good jobs – is now all the more urgent and must be addressed by legislatures and Congress.

“Reproductive rights are fundamentally a health care issue and we believe that health care is a human right. Unions must work extra hard to ensure that workers are guaranteed access to reproductive health care in their collective bargaining agreements, but also that the right to do so is protected by law.

Maine’s unions remain committed to the fight for gender justice and economic equity for all people.”