It was her mom's obituary that got Carla Hale fired. The six words sealed the deal? "Survived by Carla & her partner."

Hale, who taught physical education at Bishop Watterson High School in Columbus, Ohio,  for 19 years, was fired in March, weeks after the obit ran. Hale said she was fired for being in a gay relationship. Now, local unions represented by the Central Ohio Labor Council are supporting Hale in her fight to be reinstated. 

This post originally appeared on the Ohio AFL-CIO blog.

More than 20 union veterans and members representing each branch of the military, along with the group Veterans Helping Veterans & Others Inc., met near the Ohio Statehouse today before heading out to meet with 10 senators to discuss gaining support for Senate Bill 13 (S.B. 13), the Veteran Opportunities Act, sponsored by Lou Gentile (D-Steubenville).

Update: Ohio Gov. John Kasich issued an order to state agencies they must consider veterans' military skills and service for civilian job licensing and college credits.

Last week, despite the tremendous benefits paid sick days would have for the city’s working families, businesses, economy and public health, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg vetoed the paid sick days bill passed by the City Council last month. As National Partnership President Debra L. Ness said, the move was “short-sighted and the City Council should act quickly to make its effect short-lived.”

Thousands of teachers, parents and allies rallied in Albany, N.Y., on Saturday in opposition to the use of high-stakes standardized tests that are being put in place before the state and teachers have time to fully implement the new curriculum to support those tests. More than 225 buses filled with people showed up to the rally, which was sponsored by New York State United Teachers, the New York State AFL-CIO, AFT, Citizen Action, the New York Immigration Coalition and New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness.

Thousands of supporters of providing a quality public education to New York's students are participating in the One Voice United rally in Albany tomorrow, June 8. They will be joined by AFT President Randi Weingarten, New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento and New York State United Teachers President Richard Iannuzzi. Averill Park Teachers Association President Michelle Smead wrote her Top 10 list of reasons why education professionals should join them....

Take the nation’s fastest growing soccer tournament, add an emphasis on academic success, a dash of workers’ rights and the Texas union movement and you’ve got a recipe for a unique and innovative Latino community outreach opportunity.

That’s what is happening this weekend in Austin, where the Texas AFL-CIO and Texas AFT are partnering with a local Univision personality at the COPA Univision amateur soccer tournament that will include both adult men’s and women’s teams and teams of boys and girls from 6 to 18 years old. They will be hosting players and their parents, as well as event spectators at a special tent on the grounds of Northeast Metro Park, the site of the two-day tournament festival.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit last week ruled in favor of 2,800 Connecticut state employees, 700 of whom are AFSCME members and were illegally fired in 2003 based on their union membership.

Here's a look at some of the key battles in the states over the past week.

A month after the Vermont legislature approved a bill allowing home care workers to collectively bargain, more than 4,500 home care workers filed an election petition seeking to form a union. Because of the new law, more than 7,000 workers are now eligible to join a union, and many participated in a march to file the petition. Home care workers in the state experience low wages and a lack of sick time, paid vacations and other benefits. The election is expected to be held in mid-July.

On Friday, the Connecticut Senate passed a bill that would create a task force to study family medical leave insurance for the state's workers. The bill previously passed the House and now goes to Gov. Dannel Malloy (D) for his signature. The bill would assemble a task force to study the creation of a program to provide short-term benefits to workers who must take time off because of pregnancy, childbirth, non-work illness or injury, or to take care of a family member. Federal law already provides for unpaid leave in such situations, but states such as California and New Jersey also require paid time off in certain cases.