Editor’s note: Howard Wallace is a long-time peace activist, trade union organizer, senior and gay rights activist. He has been a Teamster and recently retired as a leader in Local 250 of SEIU, a large health care union in Northern California. He currently works with Senior Action building support among seniors, the lesbian and gay community and labor for health care reform and rights for health care workers. He also helped found Pride at Work.

PA: One of the earliest struggles you were involved in was the Coors boycott in the 1970s. Can you describe how you got involved in that?

HW: In 1975, two other people and I initiated an organization called Bay-Area Gay Liberation (BAGL). Its aims were to advance lesbian and gay liberation by reaching out to potential allies within the labor movement, the feminist movement and movements of people of color and national minorities.

At one point we overwhelmingly supported a city strike. There were no other community organizations endorsing a city strike. We followed up by supporting the creation of the agricultural labor board, something the United Farm Workers (UFW) were pushing for. As a result of the strike, there was some anti-union legislation that was also put on the ballot as part of a backlash against labor. So we went to the leaders of the city
workers’ union and told them that we supported their efforts against this legislation – anything we could do we would do. They asked how they could help us. I said, “Well, it would be very important to let it be known in the community that labor is on our side too and is concerned about our rights.” I said, “Our influence is substantial, even though we are a fairly new organization. It would carry a lot more weight if labor took some steps in our direction.” So they said, “What do you suggest?” I said, “Maybe a press conference to that effect – of mutual support.” I suspected they might hesitate or turn me down, but they said, “That’s a great idea.” We lined up 21 labor leaders from all over the West Coast, including from the building trades, the Teamsters in the Bay Area and Richard Chávez, Cesar’s brother. It was all over the news that morning.

That laid a basis for a good working relationship. The position the labor movement took publicly when we had our press conference was, “Anyone who pays dues to the union should not have their private life the subject of anything of an employer on the job. It’s only elementary human rights to defend the rights of lesbian and gay workers.” So it was a positive statement, and we had strong statements against right-wing attacks on unions.

Close to that time, we took a position in support of the Coors boycott.

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