31.   He said the legislation would be an effort to recognize that union.

32.   He noted that Illinois spends more paying graduate students than fellow Big Ten schools Wisconsin and Michigan, which both have recognized graduate unions.

33.   However, the federal government still would not recognize such unions with regard to such things as immigration rights, Social Security and federal taxes.

34.   It remained unclear whether the university would recognized the new union, however.

35.   Kang said the company is waiting for officials documents from the government before recognizing the union.

36.   Last March, Vermont became the first state to recognize civil unions, giving gay and lesbian couples all the rights, benefits and responsibilities of marriage.

37.   No state has legalized gay marriage, although the state of Vermont on Saturday began recognizing civil unions, which provide many of the same rights as marriage.

38.   The federal government still would not recognize such unions with regard to such things as immigration rights, Social Security and federal taxes.

39.   The government does not recognize the union.

40.   The government does not recognize the union, which has tens of thousands of members.