California's leading union organization, bucking organized labor's long-standing neutrality on the issue of abortion, is for the first time taking a strong stand in favor of abortion rights. Meeting behind closed doors last month, the California Labor Federation, which represents more than 2.1 million workers belonging to more than 1,100 affiliated unions, voted to oppose Proposition 85, a November ballot initiative that would require doctors to notify parents before performing abortions on minors. In a policy statement, the labor federation also urged the national AFL-CIO "to reconsider its position of neutrality on the issue."
See "In a Shift, Union Group Backs Abortion Rights", Joe Matthews, Los Angeles Times, August 6, 2006