Issues: Labor

What does "Faithful Citizenship" say about Labor?

"The economy must serve people, not the other way around. Work is more than a way to make a living; it is a form of continuing participation in God"s creation. Employers contribute to the common good through the services or products they provide and by creating jobs that uphold the dignity and rights of workers--to productive work, to decent and just wages, to adequate benefits and security in their old age, to the choice of whether to organize and join unions, to the opportunity for legal status for immigrant workers, to private property, and to economic initiative. Workers also have responsibilities--to provide a fair day's work for a fair day's pay, to treat employers and co-workers with respect, and to carry out their work in ways that contribute to the common good. Workers, employers, and unions should not only advance their own interests, but also work together to advance economic justice and the well-being of all. #52

"Catholic social teaching supports the right of workers to choose whether to
organize, join a union, and bargain collectively, and to exercise these rights without reprisal.... Workers, owners, employers, and unions should work together to create decent jobs, build a more just economy, and advance the common good. #76. Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (November 2007)

What does the Democratic National Platform say about labor?

"Democrats are committed to an economic policy that produces good jobs with good pay and benefits. That is why we support the right to organize. We know that when unions are allowed to do their job of making sure that workers get their fair share, they pull people out of poverty and create a stronger middle class. We will strengthen the ability of workers to organize unions and fight to pass the Employee Free Choice Act. We will restore pro-worker voices to the National Labor Relations Board and the National Mediation Board and we support overturning the NLRB's and NMB's many harmful decisions that undermine the collective bargaining rights of millions of workers."

What does Barack Obama say about labor?

"At time of such insecurity and vulnerability, there has never been a greater need for a strong labor movement to stand up for American workers....

"While unions and government can no longer provide this opportunity in the form of lifetime employment; they can ensure that every American worker has lifetime employability in this new economy.

"That means fixing our schools to make sure every child in America has the education and the skills they need to compete - and that college is affordable for every American who wants to go. And it means that unions can play a real role in finally creating a real system of lifelong learning so that workers who lose a job really can retrain for other high-wage jobs....

"In this new economy, we should be able to tell workers that no matter where you work or how many times you switch jobs, you will have health care and a pension you can take with you always." Speech to AFL-CIO National Convention, July 25, 2005

For more, see barackobama.com "Labor." and speech to AFL-CIO National Convention, July 25, 2005.

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

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"My idea of self, of family, of community, of the wider world comes straight from my religion."

Joe Biden, "Promises to Keep" (2007)


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