SEIU Local 1 Endorses Ohioans For Reproductive Freedom, A Campaign Advocating for Reproductive Rights

Cleveland, OH - Today, SEIU Local 1 – a diverse union uniting 45,000 working people across the Midwest including thousands in Ohio – endorsed the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom, a coalition anchoring a statewide campaign advocating for reproductive freedom for all Ohioans.  

This campaign seeks to amend the current constitution and allow residents to vote on a constitutional amendment to protect abortion access. This comes after the signing of the 2019 “Heartbeat Bill” which prohibits abortions after cardiac activity can be detected– often before many people are even aware of their pregnancy. 

“Restricting access to healthcare has the biggest impact on working families,” said SEIU Local 1 President Genie Kastrup. “All healthcare decisions are deeply personal decisions. Each person’s circumstances are unique, and each person is best positioned to make decisions about their own bodies. SEIU Local 1 is proud to fight with the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom Campaign to ensure that every person has control over their own body - free from government interference.”

“When the Supreme Court overturned Roe, Black women already knew the social and economic consequences that would have on our families and us,” said SEIU Local 1 Executive Board member and Ohio Janitor Sandra Ellington. “Black women are 3 times more likely to experience a pregnancy-related death than white women are. Reproductive freedom is a matter of life and death for many of us – that is why we are fighting and ready to get to work with the Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom campaign.”

###

Service Employees International Union Local 1 unites 45,000 workers throughout the Midwest, including janitors, security officers, airport workers, higher education faculty, food service workers, and others. Local 1 is committed to improving the lives of its members and all working people by winning real economic justice and standing at the forefront of the fight for immigrant, racial and environmental justice.