We asked for everyone's help in signing the
petition to force UPS to grant health benefits to the spouses of same
sex couples in New Jersey. I am please to annouce that we did it!!! I
have included UPS's press release on the subject but they have in fact
granted same sex couples the same benefits as heterosexual couples.
Thank
You so much to everyone who signed the petition and made this
possible!!! I hope to see you all at the Same Love, Same Rights GLBT
Wedding Expo and Rally in Tenafly on Aug 12th. You can go to
www.RainbowWeddingExpo.com for all the details.
**************************************************************
ATLANTA,
July 30, 2007 - UPS (NYSE:UPS) today announced it would offer health
care benefits to all civil union partners of hourly employees in New
Jersey who are covered under collectively bargained union plans.
Management and administrative employees in the state already have such
benefits.
"Based on an initial legal review when New Jersey's
law was enacted, it did not appear that a 'civil union' and 'marriage'
were equivalent," noted Allen Hill, UPS's senior vice president for
human resources. "Over the past week, however, we have received clear
guidance that at least in New Jersey, the state truly views civil union
partners as married. We've heard that loud and clear from state
officials and we're happy to make this change."
"We commend UPS
for taking this step," said Daryl Herrschaft, director of the Workplace
Project at the Washington, D.C.-based Human Rights Campaign. "We've
known all along that UPS wanted to do the right thing. It says a lot
about this company's character that it never stopped looking for a way
to help these New Jersey employees in an uncertain legal environment."
The
extension of benefits to civil union partners of hourly employees in
New Jersey will affect approximately 8,700 workers, although it's
impossible to know how many of those employees have joined in civil
unions. About 5,400 non-union UPS workers in New Jersey already are
eligible.
UPS, which has provided same-sex benefits since 2004
to all non-union employees throughout the United States, has been
committed to treating all of its hourly employees similarly. But until
a new contract is negotiated and implemented with the Teamsters in
2008, the company must follow individual state definitions of "spouse."
In New Jersey, UPS has been grappling with the legal question of
whether a "civil union" can be equated to "married spouse" when the
state's law does not explicitly use that language.
The extension
of benefits is based on discussions and input from state officials,
including the attorney general and governor, within the past few days.
"We're
quite pleased with this outcome," added Hill. "Our goal has always been
to provide these benefits to all UPS employees. But we also have a
responsibility to do it the right way."
UPS intends to address
the issue of same-sex benefits for all its hourly workers - no matter
where they reside - during negotiations with the Teamsters on a new
2008 contract. Currently, about 85,000 non-hourly workers are eligible
for such benefits.
UPS, which celebrates its 100th anniversary
in 2007, is the world's largest package delivery company and a global
leader in supply chain services, offering an extensive range of options
for synchronizing the movement of goods, information and funds.
Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., UPS serves more than 200 countries and
territories worldwide. UPS's stock trades on the New York Stock
Exchange (UPS) and the company can be found on the Web at UPS.com. To
get UPS news direct, visit pressroom.ups.com/RSS.