Government affairs

A coalition of labor leaders released the following statement today ahead of the Senate’s vote to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court:

"As the elected leaders of 27 unions and worker organizations collectively representing tens of millions of working people providing essential services across our great nation, we stand together in strong support for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s nomination to the United States Supreme Court of the United States. This historic nomination demonstrates our nation’s continued path towards becoming a more just society where all children have the opportunity to succeed regardless of what they look like, where they’re from or what their parents do for a living.

“In recent years, working families have experienced firsthand how critical it is to have an equitable, fair and balanced Supreme Court. We need justices who will uphold the Constitution and maintain fidelity to the rule of law, considering every case on its merits without favoring powerful corporations. Judge Jackson meets that test. Her impressive legal career — nearly a decade as a federal judge, service as Vice Chair and Commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and her work representing people of various socioeconomic backgrounds as a federal public defender — demonstrates that she is more than qualified to sit on the Supreme Court.

“Working families also know a federal bench that reflects and respects the diversity of our nation is vital to robust and informed decision-making, which is imperative to fostering public trust in the judiciary. Representation matters in our justice system where cultural experience shapes the decisions made by judges. Confirming a Black woman to the Supreme Court after 233 years will not only add a needed perspective to the court, it inspires future generations and is a step towards creating a more just system by demanding a Supreme Court that looks more like America and serves all of us.

“Based on Judge Jackson’s record, demonstration of judicial temperament at last month’s Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings, and past and current bi-partisan support, we believe senators should enthusiastically vote to confirm her. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson’s strong character and exemplary service reflect the best of our nation. Working people of all backgrounds will hold their senators accountable for how they treat this outstanding nominee when they vote in this year’s midterm elections.”

Signed:

Mary Kay Henry, International President, Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Elizabeth H. Shuler, President, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO)
John A. Costa, International President, Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
Dr. Everett B. Kelley, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
Lee Saunders, President, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
Sara Nelson, International President, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA
Anthony Shelton, International President, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM)
Chris Shelton, President, Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Jennifer Dorning, President, Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
Matthew D. Loeb, International President, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)
Robert Martinez Jr., International President, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
Sean M. O'Brien, General President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)
Matthew Biggs, President, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)
Ray Curry, President, International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW)
Lonnie Stephenson, International President, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
James Hart, President, Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO
Fredric Rolando, President, National Association of Letter Carriers AFL-CIO (NALC)
Becky Pringle, President, National Education Association (NEA)
Bonnie Castillo, RN, Executive Director, National Nurses United (NNU)
Michael Sacco, President, Seafarers International Union (SIU)
Lee Blackmon, Director NAGE Federal Division, The National Association of Government Employees (NAGE)
John Samuelsen, International President, Transport Workers Union of America (TWU)
Will Attig, Executive Director, Union Veterans Council (UVC)
D. Taylor, International Union President, UNITE HERE
Anthony M. Perrone, President, United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW)
Jack W Heffling, President, United Power Trades Organization (UPTO)