Pride at Work AFL-CIO (Pride at Work) ^{1 2} is an LGBT constituency group within the left-of-center AFL-CIO labor union federation based in Washington, D.C. ^{3 4} As of January 2022, the organization has 24 state- and regional-level chapters. ^{5 6}

Pride at Work has supported Biden administration policy initiatives, ⁷ the elimination of a 60-vote “filibuster” threshold for procedures within the United States Senate, ^{8 9} statehood for the District of Columbia, ¹⁰ legal status for certain classes of illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children, ^{11 12} radical left-wing extremist and convicted police officer killer Mumia Abu-Jamal, ¹³ and the left-of-center Black Lives Matter movement. ^{14 15 16 17} The group has also said that “systemic racism continues to plague the United States.” ¹⁸

Pride at Work’s executive director is Jerame Davis, a self-described “union thug.” ¹⁹ On Twitter, James wrote that in former President Donald Trump’s world, “a black man on his knees is a bigger threat than a Nazi in the streets.” ²⁰

History and Leadership

Pride at Work is an LGBT constituency group of the left-of-center AFL-CIO that was founded in 1994, officially recognized by the AFL-CIO in 1997, ²¹ and granted 501(c)(4) nonprofit status in 2016. ²² As of January 2022, Pride at Work reports 24 state- and regional-level chapters of Pride at Work which advocate for LGBT labor union members. ^{23 24}

Pride at Work’s executive director Jerame Davis is a self-described “union thug.” ²⁵ On Twitter, James has written that in former President Donald Trump’s world, “a black man on his knees is a bigger threat than a Nazi in the streets.” ²⁶ He previously worked as a field coordinator for the Communications Workers of America (CWA), one of the most left-leaning labor unions in the United States. ²⁷

Activities and Funding

Claiming to work broadly on issues such as workplace discrimination, contract negotiation, religious exemptions, left-of-center advocacy on transgender issues, and bathroom access, Pride at Work is heavily involved in left-of-center political activism. ²⁸

Pride at Work has supported Biden administration policy initiatives; ²⁹ statehood for the District of Columbia; ³⁰ legal status for the so-called “DREAMers,” illegal immigrants brought to the United States as children; ^{31 32} radical left-wing extremist and convicted police officer killer Mumia Abu-Jamal; ³³ and the far-left Black Lives Matter movement. ^{34 35 36 37} The group has claimed that “systemic racism continues to plague the United States.” ³⁸

In 2022, Pride at Work joined 60 other left-of-center organizations to sign the left-of-center Sixteen Thirty Project-funded Fix Our Senate’s letter urging Senate Democrats change United States Senate procedure to make it easier for Democrats to remove the longstanding 60-vote threshold to close debate and proceed to vote on legislation, colloquially known as the “filibuster.” ^{39 40}

In 2021, Pride at Work and the left-of-center American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union sued the government in an effort to stop the implementation of a rule passed by the Trump administration that expanded contractors’ and subcontractors’ ability to cite religious objections as a part of employment decisions. ⁴¹

In 2020, the group endorsed Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign and pledged to work hard “every day between now and Election Day to elect Joe Biden” in a statement released on June 24, 2020. ⁴² That same year, Pride at Work shared a Tweet from the left-of-center United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) labor union in support of the critical race theory-inspired concept of “racial justice” ⁴³ and participated on the left-of-center Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) and AFL- CIO labor union’s panel called “Young, Woke and Ready.” ⁴⁴

Support for Black Lives Matter

Pride at Work supports the far-left Black Lives Matter Movement ^{45 46 47 48} and “transformational changes in policing.” ⁴⁹ In 2015, the organization issued a statement of support of the movement which stated, “the idea that ‘black lives matter,’ and ‘black employment matters’ should guide the work of our organization in every aspect.” ⁵⁰

Following the police-involved death of George Floyd, People at Work said that minorities in the United States “suffer daily from police brutality and systemic racism” and pledged to fight to “end structural racism,” “stand up to police violence,” and “fight systemic racism and white supremacy in all its forms.” ⁵¹

Pride at Work’s Washington, D.C., headquarters’ windows were broken and its office front was vandalized as a part of violent Black Lives Matter-related protests in the summer of 2020. In response to the vandalism, Pride at Work said its building was “just property” that “can be replaced.” ⁵²

Funding and Associated Groups

In 2018, Pride at Work reported $239,513 in funding and $225,921 of expenses. ⁵³ The previous year, the group reported $355,326 of revenue and $217,654 of expenses. ⁵⁴

Pride at Work has received funding from grants, program service fees, and individual donations. ⁵⁵ The group’s individual donation website is hosted by the left-of-center Action Network organizing and fundraising platform. ⁵⁶

Pride at Work has received grants from other left-of-center labor organizations including $5,000 from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees labor union in 2020; ⁵⁷ $5,000 from the Screen Actors Guild ⁵⁸ and $7,500 from the United Steelworkers (USW) in 2019; ⁵⁹ $10,000 from Unite Here in 2018; ⁶⁰ $20,000 Communications Workers of America (CWA) in 2016; ⁶¹ and $85,000 from the AFL-CIO and $10,000 from the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) in 2013. ⁶²

LGBT Labor Leadership Initiative is Pride at Work’s 501(c)(3) sister organization. ^{63 64}

1. “Pride at Work AFL-CIO.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2017.
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3. “Our Unions and Allies.” AFL-CIO. Accessed January 8, 2022. https://aflcio.org/about-us/our-unions-and-allies.
4. “About Us.” Pride at Work. Accessed January 8, 2022. https://aflcio.org/about-us/our-unions-and-allies.
5. “Chapters.” Pride at Work. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/about-us/chapters/.
6. “About Us.” Pride at Work. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/about-us/
7. “Pride at Work Applauds House Passage of Build Back Better Act.” November 19, 2021. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/pride-at-work-applauds-house-passage-of-build-back-better-act/.
8. “60 Organizations to Senate Democrats: Filibuster Didn’t Block Debt Limit Extension, Cannot Block Voting Rights Legislation.” Fix Our Senate. January 3, 2022. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.fixoursenate.org/press/60-organizations-to-senate-democrats-filibuster-didnt-block-debt-limit-extension-cannot-block-voting-rights-legislation.
9. Blumenthal, Paul. “43 New Groups Join Anti-Filibuster Coalition As Reform Push Accelerates.” Huffpost. March 17, 2021. Updated March 17, 2021. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/filibuster-reform-coalition_n_605211afc5b6f2f91a2e0bec.
10. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 25, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1276188100331548678.
11. “Pride at Work Celebrates Supreme Court Decision Upholding DACA.” Pride at Work. June 18, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273994281166999553.
12. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 18, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273994281166999553.
13. “Resolution in Support of Mumia Abu-Jamal.” Pride at Work. February 25, 1999. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/resolution-in-support-of-mumia-abu-jamal/.
14. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 4, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2021. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1268606885957193728.
15. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 19, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273994281166999553.
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18. ^[1] “Black Lives Matter, A Resolution on Race Relations.” Pride at Work. September 20, 2015. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/resolution-black-lives-matter/.
19. “Jerame Davis.” Twitter. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/jerame.
20. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted September 24, 2017. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/jerame/status/911963878615142400.
21. ^[1] “Pride at Work records.” Archival Collections of the University of Maryland Library. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://archives.lib.umd.edu/repositories/2/resources/1796.
22. Letter from the Internal Revenue Service to Pride at Work AFL-CIO. November 3, 2016. https://apps.irs.gov/pub/epostcard/dl/FinalLetter_52-2217817_PRIDEATWORKAFL-CIO_05262016.tif.
23. “Chapters.” Pride at Work. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/about-us/chapters/.
24. “About Us.” Pride at Work. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/about-us/
25. “Jerame Davis.” Twitter. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/jerame.
26. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted September 24, 2017. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/jerame/status/911963878615142400.
27. “Jerame Davis.” LinkedIn. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeramedavis/details/experience/.
28. “Issues.” Pride at Work. Accessed January 7, 2021. https://www.prideatwork.org/issues/.
29. “Pride at Work Applauds House Passage of Build Back Better Act.” November 19, 2021. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/pride-at-work-applauds-house-passage-of-build-back-better-act/.
30. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 25, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1276188100331548678.
31. “Pride at Work Celebrates Supreme Court Decision Upholding DACA.” Pride at Work. June 18, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273994281166999553.
32. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 18, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273994281166999553.
33. “Resolution in Support of Mumia Abu-Jamal.” Pride at Work. February 25, 1999. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/resolution-in-support-of-mumia-abu-jamal/.
34. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 4, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2021. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1268606885957193728.
35. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 19, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273994281166999553.
36. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 18, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273600936544477188.
37. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 17, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273281734042320900.
38. “Black Lives Matter, A Resolution on Race Relations.” Pride at Work. September 20, 2015. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/resolution-black-lives-matter/.
39. “60 Organizations to Senate Democrats: Filibuster Didn’t Block Debt Limit Extension, Cannot Block Voting Rights Legislation.” Fix Our Senate. January 3, 2022. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.fixoursenate.org/press/60-organizations-to-senate-democrats-filibuster-didnt-block-debt-limit-extension-cannot-block-voting-rights-legislation.
40. Blumenthal, Paul. “43 New Groups Join Anti-Filibuster Coalition As Reform Push Accelerates.” Huffpost. March 17, 2021. Updated March 17, 2021. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/filibuster-reform-coalition_n_605211afc5b6f2f91a2e0bec.
41. “Workers’ Advocates Sue Over 11th-Hour Trump Admin Rule Giving Federal Contractors Expanded Ability to Discriminate.” National Women’s Law Center. January 22, 2021. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://nwlc.org/press-releases/workers-advocates-sue-over-11th-hour-trump-admin-rule-giving-federal-contractors-expanded-ability-to-discriminate/.
42. “Pride at Work Makes Historic First Presidential Endorsement; Endorses Vice President Joe Biden for President.” Pride at Work. June 24, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/pride-at-work-makes-historic-first-presidential-endorsement-endorses-vice-president-joe-biden-for-president/.
43. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted July 16, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/UFCWOUTreach/status/1283941606782050305/photo/1.
44.  “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted July 7, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/APALAnational/status/1280486407715332096.
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46. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 19, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273994281166999553.
47. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 18, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273600936544477188.
48. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 17, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273281734042320900.
49. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 18, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1273600936544477188.
50.  “Black Lives Matter, A Resolution on Race Relations.” Pride at Work. September 20, 2015. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://www.prideatwork.org/resolution-black-lives-matter/.
51. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted May 30, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1266822846430535680/photo/1.
52. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted June 1, 2020. Accessed January 7, 2022. https://twitter.com/PrideatWork/status/1267434065365434368.
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58. “Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.” Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax. (Form 990). 2018. Schedule I. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/454931719/202030769349301218/full.
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