UFCW 3000 Executive Board Unanimously Rejects I-638 and I-001, Endorses No Hate Campaign

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On Wednesday, Sept. 30, UFCW 3000’s member-led Executive Board voted unanimously to reject Initiatives 638 and 001 and to endorse the No Hate campaign. 

I-638 would ban transgender girls from school sports and require health care workers to inspect the genitalia of all girls – and only girls – before they can pick up a basketball. I-001 would repeal Washington’s existing parents’ rights law and replace it with language ripped from a Louisiana law, stripping protections for children who have been abused.  

UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther

“School sports keep our children healthy and out of trouble,” said UFCW 3000 President Faye Guenther. “Our members’ kids play on these teams, and our members coach, drive, and cheer from the sidelines. Nobody should have to submit their daughter to an invasive exam just to join them.”  

David Reeves, ER Tech at Providence Holy Family Hospital

“I care for patients every day. I-638 would put health care workers like me in the position of performing invasive, unnecessary tests on elementary school girls, and it would make parents pay for them. That’s not what any of us got into this work to do. Our kids deserve better, and so do the families who depend on us,” said David Reeves, ER Tech at Providence Holy Family Hospital and UFCW 3000 Executive Board Member.  

Passing this initiative will hit girls from working-class families the hardest. That’s because insurance won’t cover the tests this initiative mandates, which means the cost burden will fall on families. At a time when costs for basics such as food, fuel, and housing are so high, working people don’t have extra money lying around to pay for these unnecessary procedures, and they certainly don’t have the time.  

The other initiative, I-001, is so poorly written it removes common-sense protections for victims of child abuse, according to the Washington Attorney General. 

Enough is enough. Working people will vote down these hateful initiatives in November and send their multimillionaire backer packing.