The United State of Women Summit Remarks

Good afternoon.

I’m Liz Shuler. This is my friend Ariana Davis.

We are 2 of the 6.8 million working women of the labor movement.

We get to follow Kerry Washington. How cool is that!

She is a union member, too, by the way. And I know many of you are as well.

It’s a great time to be a working woman. But enormous challenges remain.

Inexcusably, our paychecks are still unequal.

Many of us lack a single day of paid leave.

Work schedules are equal parts unpredictable and inflexible.

And we too often face discrimination on the job.

So today we were asked to talk about the big new idea to give working women equal pay and an equal say.

Well we have some news for you.

Our idea is big. But it is not new.

Imagine this: I’m trying to push a boulder up a hill.

I’m leaning in with all my might.

It’d be hard, if not impossible.

But what if my friend Ariana helped? And then each of you helped, too?

If all of us pushed that boulder, we could move mountains.

That’s what a union is. Stronger collectively than we are apart.

Working women have many boulders to move.

Equal pay. Paid leave. Fair schedules.

But if we stand together and negotiate together, we win together.

Ariana knows the power of a union. She is here today to share her story.

Good afternoon.

I’m Ariana Davis. And I’m a member of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 21 in Seattle, Washington.

To think that I am here speaking on the same stage as President Obama, Kerry Washington and Oprah feels like a miracle.

You see, it wasn’t too long ago that I was shy, timid and still figuring out how to speak up for myself.

Shortly after turning 16, I started working at Safeway and everything changed. It was more than a job. I joined my union and found my voice.

Being in a union has allowed me to negotiate for and win fair wages, good benefits and economic stability.

But the truth is, the power of a union is about much more than dollars and cents.

I’ve stood up for my friends at work who were being disrespected by management. And I helped them get justice on the job. That’s a powerful feeling.

As an out lesbian of color, I’ve been welcomed with open arms because unions understand that diversity is one of our greatest strengths.

I’ve testified in support of paid leave and equal pay.

We’ve made progress in Seattle, and now I am proud to be the citizen petitioner behind a statewide initiative that would raise the minimum wage and guarantee every worker 7 paid sick days.

I still may seem a little shy — but I am comfortable in my own skin. I am respected by workers and managers alike. I am a force in my community.

And it’s because I don’t stand alone. I am in a movement with grocery workers and steelworkers and teachers.

Together, we have a voice. Together, we can make change.

Thanks, Sister.

Yes. You heard that right. In the labor movement that word — sister — represents the bond we share as union members.

It captures something deeper than coworker or colleague or associate.

It gets at the shared sense of purpose… the notion that we’re all in this together and can weather the ups and downs as they come.

There’s nothing like coming together to improve our lives and make our communities stronger.

All of us in this room feel that today — 5,000 strong.

So sisters… we got this.

To put it another way, keep calm and change the world.

Thank you.