Code of Conduct

GSWOC-UAW holds equity and social justice as cardinal principles, and our code of conduct outlines the way we abide by these principles while engaging in union work. The union is committed to cultivating a culture of care by providing direct and accessible support infrastructure for any GSW experiencing discrimination or harassment in the course of their participation in the union. This code of conduct sets a foundation of respect and decency that all members are expected to uphold. With equity and social justice as our north star, we agree to the following:

We do not tolerate any form of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation in our organizing work and union spaces, including any online meetings and town halls and any other union communication like text messages and group chats. This includes (but may not be limited to) harassment and/or discrimination based on sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, race, national or ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, genetics/genetic markers or information, disability status, veteran status, union activity, pregnancy status, parental or caregiver status, ancestry, use of a service animal, or physical traits such as skin color, weight, etc.

We are committed to building a culture of prevention in our union. We recognize that issues of inequity and discrimination are not simply problems with bad individual behavior or belief. Rather, inequity is a structural issue, and organizational culture is the strongest predictor of whether harassment will occur. Thus, we are committed to building norms and structures that prevent harm from occurring in our organizing work in the first place.

We are committed to building clear and accessible structures of support for members who experience harassment, discrimination, or retaliation while engaging in union work. We also recognize that because we are situated within broader systems of oppression, complete prevention is not achievable in the short term, and harm will inevitably occur. We are committed to building clear and accessible structures of support that enable members to get help on issues they experience, and that encourage addressing issues early to help prevent harm from escalating. This work should balance transparency about how issues are resolved and tracked, while also supporting the privacy of those who don’t wish to make public reports.

We are committed to building practices of accountability in our organizing work and union spaces. These practices should be based in best practices of trauma-informed and survivor-centered work, and should be aimed at repairing harm when it occurs. Further, we are committed to developing practices and norms that create the conditions necessary for accountability to be “possible, expected, and likely” (Connie Burk, 2011).  

GSWOC-UAW is committed to cultivating a space in which union members feel comfortable speaking up without fear of threats and harassment.