Legal Question in Discrimination Law in California

Re: healthcae coverage coverage for same sexpartners

It is not clear to me what your grievance is. I am going to assume that you are surprised and dissappointed that your union would use the power of its organization to obtain a benefit for couples who live together without benefit of a lawful marriage.

First, find out if your union instigated this change. Most unions are so worried about holding on to the benefits their members already enjoy, that they do would not even try to expand benefits. Usually, the extension of domestic partner benefits is offered by the employer, and the reason the employers do this is to compete with other employers in the retention of qualified employees. The union is simply making the announcement.

Second, the domestic partner benefits are no better than those offered for a lawfully married spouse, meaning the benefit means the spouse can join a group plan, but the company pays little, if any, of the coverage expenses.

Finally, if it is true that your union took the initiative to extend a valuable benefit to its unmarried members, your proper response would be gratitude. If you remain ungracious, however, you can express your grievance with the president of the union local.