You Won't Believe What a Rhode Island Radio Host Said About Women Union Members
In Rhode Island, a group of teachers, nurses and other union women know exactly what that feels like. After organizing a protest outside a political event, they were labeled "Hags," "Cockroaches" and "W-H-O-R-E-S" by WPRO radio personality John DePetro.
Working families and union members in Rhode Island are rallying to pressure WPRO radio to drop DePetro from the air and the show's sponsor, national jewelry manufacturer Alex and Ani, to cease advertising.
The Providence Journal reported on the comments DePetro made:
Talking about the protest on-air a day later, including comments made by the woman who heads the Cranston Teachers Alliance, DePetro said: “What a disgrace. You are an embarrassment….You are parasites. You are cockroaches. You lie. You are union hags. There’s another word I’d like to use…it begins with a W. and an H. and an O. and an R. and an E. and an S. See if they can spell that.”
While Alex and Ani has refused to condemn DePetro's remarks and continues to advertise with WPRO, the grassroots organization For Our Daughters has gained huge momentum in recent days as more people from across the country are speaking out against DePetro's verbal assaults on women. This fight is far from over, and Rhode Island working families continue to push the company to pull its sponsorship.
Maureen Martin, Rhode Island AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer, Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals director of Political Activities and chair of the For Our Daughters organization, said:
There is no room in Rhode Island radio, or any radio, for hateful speech that denigrates women. If we ignore DePetro’s misogynist remarks, we’re saying it’s ‘OK’ to talk about women like this, and it’s not.
Learn more about the campaign and how you can get involved at www.forourdaughtersri.org.
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This has been reposted from the AFL-CIO.
