We have many allies in the struggle for economic justice and the Employee Free Choice Act. Here's a new organization I want to highlight: Catholics for Working Families. I may disagree with Catholic doctrine on choice and the role of women, but I agree with much of the social and economic justice beliefs of many Catholics and the Church. Of course, this is not an official organization of the Catholic Church, but it helps a lot in our struggle for justice.
Father George is a Jesuit priest and former board agent for the National Labor Relation Board. He speaks about the moral imperative to reform our labor law as a means of protecting workers. Here is Fr George on the Employee Free Choice Act (I could not get the You Tube to post, but just hit the link and it will take you to the You Tube. Well worth seeing and hearing.)
More, after the fold.
We firmly oppose organized efforts... to break existing unions and prevent workers from organizing.
- U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
On this issue, I am in agreement with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
This new group will help build support for the Employee Free Choice Act:
While CEOs receive massive salaries and bonuses, working families struggle. The Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) will reform our labor law and build a more fair economy; an economy that promotes families, values human life and serves everyone, not just the super rich. We need a labor law that honors all of our brothers and sisters, especially the most vulnerable.
By supporting EFCA, we stand beside the workers who sweep our floors, who harvest our food and who build our homes. Join with us. Stand with working families. Support the Employee Free Choice Act.
Catholics for Working Families
Even His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI, supports unions:
Pope Benedict XVI recently reiterated the Church's strong endorsement of labor unions when he declared that unions "can make a significant contribution" to realizing the common good during this economic crisis.
Speaking to the Confederation on Italian Labor Unions on January 31, the pope insisted that a just economy must protect the inalienable dignity of the worker. Pope Benedict XVI also made clear that the economic downturn demands solutions that bring society together "in a united way" to meet today's problems. Supporting worker dignity by endorsing the right of workers to choose union representation is one way to work on behalf of the common good.
Pope Benedict XVI, Unions Contribute to Common Good
Many here have disagreements on Catholic doctrine on some issues, but political maturity means allying on issues where people agree.
(Full disclosure: I was raised Catholic, but left the Church when I was 12 or 13, about 40 years ago. In my view, many of their social justice teachings are fine. I disagree over issues regarding women and feminism, as well as choice and birth control. And that whole theism thing, but that's just me. :-) But I have no problem allying with many of our Catholic brothers and sisters (and have done so) on issues of war and peace and on issues of economic and social justice).
I hope all Catholics reading this consider signing up and joining this organisation:Catholics for Working Families
Along with a growing number of Americans, Both President Obama and VP Biden fully support EFCA and unions, and have done so for a long time. Both voted for EFCA while in the Senate and a core of the beliefs of both throughout their public careers has been economic fairness for working Americans.
EFCA ain't radical, folks. Unions aren't radical. This is as mainstream as can be.
I have some quotes worth reading. First, VP Biden yesterday:
I want to point out that economic injustice and inequity are bad for everyone. It's just not right, it's just not right, and everybody knows it -- it's just not right when the average CEO makes $10,000 more every day -- $10,000 more every day than what the average worker makes every year -- $10,000 per day. And by the way, before I said it, I did the math, I did the math, and it's literally true.
It's just not right, it's just not right, and everybody knows it We who consider ourselves moral beings, whether we are theistic or non-theistic, have a moral imperative to do something about it.
More from Joe:
U.S. labor -- you wanted to say, John -- U.S. labor doesn't say that corporations and government must tolerate workers forming unions. It doesn't say that corporations and government must allow unions if after using every trick in the book they can’t stop them. Here's what the U.S. government says in the bargain made back in the '30s: It said, the National Labor Relations Act explicitly says -- and that came later -- the National Labor Relations Act explicitly says, this nation's policy is to encourage -- encourage -- collective bargaining, encourage unions.
That's not Joe Biden; that's not John Sweeney; that's what the law
says. That's what the basic contract has been. Now, it doesn't
surprise any of you, it's not news to you that John Sweeney said all
that. But what is news here is you now have an American President and
Vice President, and the Speaker of the House and the Majority Leader who
agree with everything John Sweeney said.
snip
So, folks, that's why there's no one thing we have to do. This is all going to be difficult, and one of the most difficult things will be to reinstitute that basic bargain. And I think the way to do that is the Employee Free Choice Act.
Folks, let's get it straight -- we're not asking -- we're not asking for anything we don't deserve. And we're not asking for anything that wasn't intended when the NLRB said we should be encouraging -- encouraging -- unions. We just want to level this playing field again.
Ladies and gentlemen, I think President Obama said it best when he said -- I'm quoting -- "I don't buy the argument that providing workers with collective bargaining rights somehow weakens the economy or worsens the business environment." If you've got workers who have a decent pay and benefits, they also are customers for your business.
Biden's Speech to the AFL-CIO Executive Conference
Reading it, Biden was "on fire" yesterday. His speech is well worth reading in its entirety at the link.
President Obama spoke to the AFL-CIO by video feed on March 3, 2009:
I want to repeat something that those of you who joined us for the Task Force announcement heard me say: I do not view the labor movement as part of the problem. To me, and to my administration, labor unions are a big part of the solution. We need to level the playing field for workers and the unions that represent their interests – because we cannot have a strong middle class without a strong labor movement.
The truth is, the road ahead will not be easy. The economic crisis we face is vast and the challenges we confront are many; you know this because your members have already had to make sacrifices. But I have every confidence that if we are willing to do the difficult work that must be done, we will emerge from these trials stronger and more prosperous than we were before.
And as we confront this crisis and work to provide health care to every American, rebuild our nation’s infrastructure, move toward a clean energy economy, and pass the Employee Free Choice Act, I want you to know that you will always have a seat at the table.
Remarks of President Barack Obama, Video to AFL-CIO Executive Council, Miami, FL, March 3, 2009
We have a lot of allies. Now it's time to remake America by passing the EFCA. It's simple justice.