UPS will not be covering the partners of their employees recognized under New Jersey’s new civil union law because it’s not the same thing as marriage.
In a letter to Gabriael “Nickie” Brazier, a driver for UPS, and her civil union partner, Heather Aurand, the company concluded that “New Jersey law does not treat civil unions the same as marriages.” It said if the state had done that, Aurand could have been covered as a spouse.
Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo, D-Essex, who sponsored the civil union law, said he did not understand the company’s decision.
“We made it clear through the language and the intent that when it came to issues like this, we fully expected civil-unioned couples would be covered,” he said.
Before anyone gets excited. I think it’s reasonable to assume that New Jersey isn’t going to take the big step to gay marriage to fix this problem. It just shows that the legislation getting the okay out there doesn’t get close enough to the line between union and marriage. In the end, I can see UPS bending before the legislature does.
One Comment
Greg, re your comment, “I think it’s reasonable to assume that New Jersey isn’t going to take the big step to gay marriage to fix this problem”: I’m Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s LGBT civil rights organization. We have a strong shot to win marriage equality legislation in 2008. In just the last six months, support for a marriage equality bill has increased six-fold. We hope UPS fixes this problem soon - but we’re going to win marriage equality precisely because of cases like this. Legislators’ eyes have opened big-time as to the failure of civil unions to work in the real world as marriage does.