We support access to abortion because we know it is both an economic and health issue. People of color suffer disproportionately from restrictions on abortion rights due to institutionalized racism and lack of economic opportunity. State abortion bans and restrictions also greatly impact working-class people, who do not have the means to travel to states where abortion remains safe and legal, or to participate in the workforce to earn money for their households in states with restricted access to healthcare.

Research consistently demonstrates that access to reproductive health services, including birth control and abortion, leads to higher educational attainment, increased economic security, and a narrowed wage gap for women and girls. People who are denied or restricted access to abortions are more likely to earn incomes below the federal poverty level, more likely to receive public assistance, and less likely to be working full-time.

We understand that the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion may change. But should Roe v. Wade be overturned, it is a direct assault on everyone’s healthcare and reproductive rights which are core components in the labor movement’s fight for civil rights and economic justice, a fight we have always led. As state employees who provide vital services to our friends, neighbors, and respective communities in need, we stand firm in our commitment to individuals’ and families’ healthcare and reproductive rights, ensuring access to safe and legal healthcare and abortions. We will keep fighting for a world where all people can get accurate, unbiased medical information to make the best healthcare decisions–including abortion–they can for themselves and for those they love.