AFT’s Weingarten on President Biden’s Announcement that the ERA Is Ratified

WASHINGTON – AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after President Joe Biden announced that the Equal Rights Amendment is ratified:

“Today, President Biden announced the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, enshrining the basic principle that men and women should be viewed and treated as equal under the law. It should have always been a foundational promise of our democracy, but it has taken generations of struggle to get us here. This historic and momentous announcement, making the ERA the law of the land, answers a call for immediate action from more than 500 women of the labor movement who represent working people across the nation.

“The ERA, first drafted by Alice Paul nearly a century ago, arms against the struggles and systemic barriers that women—particularly women of color, women who are poor, women who are disabled, women from immigrant backgrounds and LGBTQIA+ individuals—disproportionately experience in their daily lives, including pay gaps, workplace harassment and limited opportunities for advancement.

“It took a long time, but a ratified ERA levels the playing field for women everywhere, including our members who are disproportionately female. It enables opportunities for them to build a better life for themselves and their families. We thank President Biden for this historic moment, as we celebrate the realization of goals of generations of courageous suffragists, labor organizers and activists, who marched and fought for the right to equality under the law.”