Reproductive Rights – a Labor of Love

By: Trisha Harms
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

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I am a life-long trade unionist and I am committed to the labor movement. To me, abortion is an economic justice issue. When working people can’t control their own bodies and the decisions that are made about their own bodies, they don’t have the security to thrive and contribute to our communities. It puts working people at risk in terms of health and economics. If someone feels like they can’t afford to have a child, that’s economically impactful not just to that individual, but to the community where they live and the people that they work with. They’re sucked into cycles of poverty and there’s a ripple effect out into our communities.

When people can make their own choices, they can pursue their dreams. They can take advantage of all of the opportunities that are given to them. When folks can’t make their own decisions about their lives and their families and their bodies, it makes it really hard to engage in building a healthier, stronger community because their opportunities are limited; their economic security is limited and it’s impossible to thrive when you can’t make choices about yourself and your body.

Minnesota is a place where we value individuals, we value diversity, and we value caring for one another. You may not support the decision to have an abortion, but the commonality that we can find there is that we all deserve the freedom to make our own choices. I want Minnesota to be a place where healthcare is accessible for all and that includes healthcare, reproductive healthcare, and abortion care. Abortion care should be free, accessible, and safe for everyone in Minnesota. It’s incumbent upon all of us to make sure that Minnesota becomes a leader in reproductive rights.