Big Labor Unions Push for Marriage Redefinition

Boston, MA – As the curtain rises on 2012 and millions of Americans turn their attention to the New Hampshire primaries, a blockbuster legal battle brewing just to the south is expected to burst on the scene later next year in a way that could sway the election.

In Massachusetts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is preparing to hear arguments over the constitutionality of the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Hundreds of Democratic lawmakers, dozens of major corporations ranging from Microsoft to Starbucks, and at least 15 major labor unions have signed amicus briefs claiming DOMA is unconstitutional. If the First Circuit agrees with these arguments, pro-marriage laws across the country would be vulnerable, leading to a Supreme Court showdown.

Pro-family groups, including Pacific Justice Institute, have filed amicus briefs with the First Circuit in support of DOMA. The president of PJI, Brad Dacus, believes that the attack on DOMA being pushed by Big Business and Big Labor are out of step with their customers and members. “In 2011, we saw an unprecedented number of union members exercising their rights to pert all of their union dues to charity and stop funding these attacks on their values,” he said. “All indications are that this trend will only increase in 2012.”

Unions recently signing on to legal briefs attacking traditional marriage include Teamsters, UAW (United Auto Workers), AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees), AFGE (American Federation of Government Employees), AFT (American Federation of Teachers), and NALC (National Association of Letter Carriers). More information about perting union dues to charity is available at www.pji.org.