Organized religion and the american labor movement

1. Organized religion and the american labor movement

2. Labor after the Civil War Industrial Revolution: rural to urban society and small local firms to large national and international corporations Large number of unskilled workers entering the country 1880-1929 The importance of railroads and the early unionization of railroad workers

3. Bias Against Unions Worker demands for justice were seen by federal and state courts as an attack on the absolute rights of property Powerlessness of workers leads to violent labor unrest because there is no recourse through national institutions State and National troops in the US most often took the side of employers to break up strikes

4. Who were the Urban Workers 1880-1920 The ‘new immigration included the Irish , Italians, Polish, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Germans, Russians ( Jews, Catholics, Orthodox) Looked down up as illiterate, dirty , criminals, drunks, unskilled workers, the refuse of Europe : seen as a threat to the Anglo-Saxon, Protestant culture of the nation e.g. Paddy Wagon, “Irish Need Not Apply”

5. The Catholic Church and Unions In 1891 Rerum Novarum placed the Church on the side of workers “Just wage but also Just Effort” Rerum Novarum is not anti-employer Cardinal Gibbons a friend of labor and supports the Knights of Labor

6. Rerum Novarum(On the Condition of Labor) Issued by Pope Leo XIII in 1893 --- Uphold the rights of workers to join unions ---Emphasizes that employers must pay a Just Wage Laborem Exercens (The Priority of Labor) • Issued by Pope John Paul II in 1981 ---Reemphasizes the importance of unions and speaks of direct and indirect employers

7. Catholic Labor Leaders Catholics in the later part of the 19th Century and early part of 20th Century joined unions in large numbers John Mitchell UMW Msgr. George Higgins George Meany AFL-CIO Caesar Chavez UFW John Sweeney AFL-CIO Philip Murray USWA Fr. John Ryan

8. The Protestant Churches and Unions The Federal Council of Churches (1908) Includes Baptist, Methodist From the very beginning it has stood ‘for a living wage in every industry, and for the highest wage that each industry can afford.”

9. Protestant Labor Leaders Lane Kirkland 1922- 1999 President of AFL-CIO Walter Ruther (Lutheran) President of UAW A. Philip Randolph 1889- (AME ) BSCP William Green ( 1870-1932) • President of AFL

10. The Synagogue and Unions The Jewish tradition of social justice found in the great prophets of Israel e.g. Isaiah, Amos “He has told you ,O Mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6,8

11. The Synagogue and the Unions “Is not this the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, the bring the homeless poor into your house.” Isaiah 58,6

12. Jewish labor Leaders • David Dubinsky ILGW (UNITE) • Sidney Hillman ACWA

13. The Future of Unions and Organized religion(Religious Values in the Union Hall) • The National Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice • Labor in the Pulpit (AFL-CIO + NICW) • The Bible, the Ten Commandments all speak to justice

14. WHAT FAITH GROUPS SAY ABOUT THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE Roman Catholic “No one may deny the right to organize without attaching human dignity itself .”Economic Justice 1986 Episcopal Church “We reaffirm the right and desirability of workers in the United States to organize and form unions.” Urban Bishops Coalition of the Episcopal Church labor Day 1982

15. WHAT FAITH GROUPS SAY ABOUT THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE Disciples of Christ “We believe in the right of laboring men to organize for protection against unjust conditions and to share a more adequate share of the fruits of their toil”Church and Labor Disciples of Christ 1938 Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA) “The ELCA commits itself…to protect the rights of workers , support the collective bargaining process, and protect the right to strike.” Church-wide Assembly 1991

16. WHAT FAITH GROUPS SAY ABOUT THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE United Methodist Church “We support the right of public and private employees and employers to organize for collective bargaining into unions and the groups of their own choosing.”Collective Bargaining, social Principles of the UMC

17. WHAT FAITH GROUPS SAY ABOUT THE RIGHT TO ORGANIZE Jewish “Jewish leaders , along with our Catholic and Protestant counterparts have always supported the labor movement and the rights of employees to form unions for the purpose of engaging in collective bargaining and attaining fairness in the workplace.” Workplace Fairness Resolution, 1993 Central Conference of American Rabbis

18. Problems of Labor that Concern the Churches(bread and butter labor issues) Wages Length of the working day and week Unemployment Occupational diseases and poisoning Industrial accidents Protection of women and children Health Insurance Attempts to pass Right to Work legislation

19. Practical Suggestions Identify yourself as a union member to your pastor/minister/ rabbi Ask to speak to any Church committee that is planning major construction about the important of ‘building with dignity’ (living wage + healthcare /pension) Invite the your pastor/ minister/ rabbi to open a labor council meeting with a prayer Try to arrange a speaker on labor for the Labor Day Weekend

20. Practical Suggestions Talk to your Children about your union affiliation and your faith Introduce you children to your union brothers and sisters Participate in Labor Day events, picnics, etc. They only come once a year but they build relationships